The Other Twin
by Zosie
Summary: It's a case of mistaken identity that could just work out for everyone involved. Edward's marriage is a complete bust, and his wife has run off with her lover, leaving him holding the baby. But now she is back, and it's as if she is a whole different person. Maybe there is a reason for that. HEA as always, but maybe a little twist. Rated M for now until we see how we go.
1. Chapter 1

**The other two current stories are just reposts of completed stories that were posted elsewhere , this one is my current work in progress. I will update it when I can.**

The Other Twin

Chapter 1

"We need you to say it out loud. For the record."

"Yes, this is my Mom. This is the body of Renee Marie Higgenbotham ," I stated shakily. It still felt quite unreal. I half expected her to sit up and laugh that annoying laugh of hers and tell me it was all some elaborate joke.

But she didn't move.

She looked like she was merely asleep.

I guess the real shock would hit me later.

For now, all I could think was, where will I go? What will I do?

What happens to me, her daughter, now that she is no longer here?

I mean, there is nobody else.

Obviously I do have a father, somewhere. Everyone does, but I have no real clue where mine is.

Or who is he is.

I know virtually nothing about him.

"Can I call anyone for you? Are you okay?" the woman in the white coat asks when I make no move to leave now the identification has been officially made.

"No thanks. I'll call a cab. I'm fine," I hurriedly answer.

Sure I am.

xxxxx

The small green metal lockbox proves little challenge against the screwdriver in my hand and I pry it open rather than search the house for the key. God only knows where Mom has hidden it. There are too many possibilities to make searching for it a better option.

Inside are a handful of papers, which I expected, and a single bundle of banknotes, which I hadn't.

We'd always lived very simply, Mom and I, and there had never been any money left over, so the idea maybe she had savings had never crossed my mind.

I flicked through the notes and guessed I was holding maybe three or four grand.

It would be useful of course, but it won't last long.

I know Mom brought home a lot more than this each month and every penny had always gotten eaten up by living expenses.

My own contribution was spent on our clothing and running the car the two of us shared.

There had never been a man in our lives, it had all been down to Mom and me to pay our own way.

Realistically, this money is a bonus but it is not enough to change the fact that I have to leave this little house that has always been home to me, and this town that is the only place I have ever lived. I haven't even been outside my home state.

But that is about to change, I tell myself as I unfold the first document .

There it is.

My birth certificate.

And on it:

My father's name.

Charles David Swan.

And his address.

Forks, Washington.

Just the information I need.

The document is brief and official with the bare minimum words, as most are.

Just the facts, Ma'am.

It's the first time in my life that I have seen it, although I guess Mom had needed it on occasion, like when she enrolled me into school.

My eyes widen in shock at what is written there.

Actually, it is not just mine but _our_ birth certificate, more correctly.

There's my name, Isabella Marie Swan, printed neatly on the appropriate line, but immediately underneath are the words that shock me to my core.

Under 'siblings' are the words "twin sister' and the name Annabella Kate Swan.

xxxxx

For a moment the room spins and I have to sit down.

How come I was never told about this twin sister?

How could Renee have kept something this huge, this important from me?

I read the words again, trying to make sense of them.

There was no indication my twin had been stillborn. If that had been the case I would understand Mom thinking maybe it was something I didn't need to know.

No point spending my life grieving for a sister who never drew breath.

I looked through the other papers, searching for maybe a Death Certificate for Annabella Kate.

Nothing.

Renee's Life Insurance.

Car registration and insurance papers.

Renee's birth certificate and passport.

And finally, one single sealed envelope.

This had to be it.

It did have my name neatly printed on the front.

I tore it open and pulled out the single sheet of notepaper inside.

_My Darling Isabella,_

_If you are reading this then I must be dead._

_I hope you will be able to forgive me for what you are about to read._

_I know what I did was selfish but I just couldn't bear to give both of you away, even though I knew Charlie would be an amazing father._

_I will begin at the beginning._

_I met Charlie Swan when I was sixteen years old. He was twenty one, and my friends and I thought he was the most handsome guy in town. We sort of had a competition to see who could get him into their bed, and I guess I won._

_But my glee was short lived._

_A few weeks later I found out there were repercussions from that one night._

_I was pregnant._

_Foolishly I told Charlie, hoping he would help me out of this predicament nice and quietly, and nobody else would ever have to know, but instead, he marched me home and confessed all to my parents. They insisted we would marry and I would have the baby, and all would remain rosy in the garden that was their respectable, narrow little life._

_I refused._

_I was not marrying a man I barely knew._

_Okay, they may be able to force me to have the baby but there was no way I was marrying anyone from Forks and being trapped in that Godforsaken Hell hole forever._

_Because I refused to redeem myself and marry, I was sent to stay with an aunt here in Phoenix, and it was decided when the baby was born, it would be handed over to Charlie Swan, seeing he was the one who wanted it._

_I didn't._

_The thought of being a single mother did not appeal to me at all, at the time._

_Then as the months passed, as you grew inside me, I came to regret that decision, and I did want to keep my baby, but all the arrangements had been made._

_There was no going back. The baby was to go to it's father, and I would never see it again._

_When I felt the first contraction, I wanted to run away and hide and have you be born somewhere far away, where they'd never find us, and that way I could keep you myself, __but my aunt soon put paid to that plan, and she drove me to the hospital herself._

_Don't judge her harshly._

_She honestly thought my parents had made the right decision, even though she sympathized with me, knowing how much I wanted to keep the baby now, __it was too late._

_Charlie's family had everything ready. His Mom was thrilled to be expecting a grandbaby, and she was going to mind it while he worked._

_His father could afford to help out financially, and set his son and grandchild up in a modest house of their own on the same property where they lived._

_They were more than ready to give my baby a full and loving home._

_Aunt Marie wished we could change things and keep the baby but she was as committed to following through as my parents were._

_I had no say, really._

_Where would we live? How would I feed and clothe you, without adult help?_

_If only there had been more time, I thought to myself because Aunt Marie was beginning to see my side of things, and if I'd just had an extra few months, I was sure she would have come around to my way of thinking, and let me stay with her longer, until I had a job and something real to offer the coming baby._

_But I'd changed my mind too late, and she sadly insisted we had to do this._

_We had to give the Swan family the baby they so eagerly anticipated._

_She came into the delivery room with me, and held my hand the whole time, and when Annabella was born, she let me kiss that sweet little baby girl goodbye before she was hurried out of the room by the nurse._

_And she sat with me and cried with me over my loss._

_We were both heartbroken to give that baby away but she said we'd kept our word, done the right thing, and now it was over._

_I thought I would die from a broken heart and indeed, my whole body ached and screamed out with agony but then, a miracle occurred._

_A second baby made her imminent arrival known._

_And next thing, there you were, Isabella._

_A bonus baby nobody had been expecting._

_And there was no reason anyone else had to know you even existed._

_My aunt agreed with me readily. We had already done what had been promised, and the way she saw it, you were my reward._

_She took on all responsibility for your care and welfare and took us back home to her house, telling my parents it would be too hard for me to have to return to Forks and watch my daughter Annabella grow up in Charlie Swans house._

_I think they agreed because they just didn't want to face the scandal. If I were there, always watching out for a glimpse of Charlie's baby, the whole town would soon know who the mother was. _

_If I didn't go back, they could pretend the small brunette baby girl Charlie was raising was nothing to do with them, and who could argue differently? After all, everyone in town knew I had left to live with my dear aunt who had offered me some wonderful job as a proof reader of her novels that she wrote and made quite a nice living from._

_That was why I had moved away._

_Why would I suddenly return and leave such a wonderful opportunity behind?_

_So, my aunt and I swore we would never tell a soul about the fact that I had given birth to two babies, not one._

_She had always kept herself to herself and nobody in Phoenix knew much about her other than she was a recluse._

_Who knew what conclusions they had come to about me, the girl who suddenly moved in with her one day, and was soon obviously with child._

_Her neighbours had no idea that I was merely carrying a baby destined to be relinquished to it's father._

_We could make up some sob story about how I had been widowed on my honeymoon, and left pregnant and alone so she had offered us both a permanent home. They had no reason to suspect you were in fact just one baby from a set of twins, and Charlie had the baby he expected, and would never know of your existence._

_Unless you now want to go tell him yourself, Isabella._

_It's entirely up to you._

_You must decide if you want to go to Forks, and introduce yourself to your father, and your identical twin sister._

_Or not._

_It's your choice alone._

_Do whatever you wish, my darling girl, with my blessing._

_I'm sorry I have nothing to tell you about your only living relatives, but I barely knew Charlie Swan and we have had no contact at all since that day that he told my parents he had made me pregnant._

_And I have never had any news of Annabella, so I can't even warn you of what kind of reception you might expect._

_Just know that you made my life worthwhile, and I have no regrets, my dear Bella. You were the very best thing about my life and I was so lucky to be your mother. I hope you will not hate me for what I did._

_Forever yours, your Mom, Renee._

xxxxx

I arrived three days later and when I saw how small and provincial the place was, I admit I very nearly stayed on the bus for the return trip back to Sea-Tac to catch a plane home again.

Mom had not exaggerated about how wet, and dismal and unexciting the town was. She'd told me stories about growing up here, just never named the actual town in so many words.

All I knew was it was too wet, and too cold, and too green for her liking, and all she had ever wanted was to get out and leave it behind her.

She came back only once; to bury her parents when they died in a car accident when I was three or four, but of course, she did not take me with her.

I stayed with Aunt Marie, in our home, and a few days later Mom returned, and her family was never mentioned again.

They were nothing to me but a small photograph on the bedside table in my Mom's bedroom. I often sneaked in to gaze at their faces and wonder what they were like in the flesh.

Her father was a man of short stature but very fierce and dominating looking. His word was clearly law.

His wife was tiny and scared and completely submissive. Not the kind of woman to stand up and fight for her daughter and grandchild.

There was no photo of my father, so like many part orphans, I was free to imagine him however I wanted.

As a child, he was some kind of superhero who couldn't live with us because he was too busy off chasing dangerous villains, and he had to stay away to keep us safe.

As a teenager, he was a tragic romantic hero, married to a woman he didn't love but always holding a torch for his dear Renee, the childhood sweetheart Fate had ripped from his arms.

Or maybe he was an undercover detective, unable to ever come home.

My final fantasy was that he was a rich and famous movie star, adored by millions but only truly loved by my Mom and me.

They didn't know him, but we did.

Naturally I chose the most popular actor of the right age, but when he fell from grace in some public scandal, I switched to a more beloved star who had never been mentioned in the gossip magazines.

Now that fantasy was over.

Charles Swan was a real, flesh and blood man.

Not a superhero or movie star.

A small town cop.

I took my carry-on from where it has rested on the rack above my head and reluctantly alighted the bus.

The driver shocked me by seeming to know who I was, but I realized quickly he had mistaken me for my sister, who he clearly knew.

"So, Bella, you have returned. You will be lucky if he forgives you and takes you back. I wouldn't, if it were me."

I didn't attempt to correct him or pretend to understand.

It seemed maybe my sister was not as popular in her hometown as I had been in mine.

I got a few hostile stares from the townspeople as I walked along the main road. A couple of older ladies shook their heads and mumbled out loud to their companions some rather spiteful remarks about 'loose women' and 'cheaters' and 'women who deserted their perfectly wonderful husband and dear little baby' so I soon figured my twin had done a runner. Who could blame her?

Living in this constant state of dampness would be enough to send any sane person running screaming for the hills.

I glanced again at the page I had ripped from the local phone book at the bus station, and tried to work out exactly where I was now, and where the street was where my father lived.

Oh, I get it. This must be the main drag, if you could call anything this small that, so I have to walk to the corner ahead then go down the street to the right, and then...

I barely had time to scream as a shiny blue car tore around the corner and headed straight for me.

All my instincts kicked in immediately and I half jumped, half fell into the gutter at the side, and as I felt a sharp pain in my right temple, blackness took over.

xxxx

EPOV

The day started out just as the previous days had this month.

I awoke and checked my cell phone for messages, and as always, there were none.

Then I checked the home phone.

Same result.

I walked out onto the balcony off the bedroom and stretched. My neck muscles were tied in knots, and screamed in protest as I tried to limber them up with my fingers.

My mind screamed even louder.

"_Bella, where the Hell are you? How could you do this to us? How could you just walk away? "_

I guess I knew from the start that our relationship was the doomed variety, but that hadn't stopped me chasing after her, and now not only was I paying the price for my foolhardiness, but so was our daughter.

She deserved better.

I wandered into the nursery and watched the baby begin to stir.

As soon as her eyes opened, she saw me there and immediately her face lit up with a delighted grin.

"Dadda".

I lifted her up into my arms and kissed her sweet little face and wondered how on Earth Bella had found the strength to walk away and leave this perfect little angel behind? I could never have done it, no matter how bitter and twisted our marriage had become.

I stripped off the nighttime diaper and sang to my daughter as I replaced it with a fresh one, and then kissed her little pink face again.

"Good Morning, Princess. How is Daddy's Girl today? What shall we have for breakfast?"

She grabbed at my mouth and I playfully bit her fingers.

"Oh, shall Daddy just gobble you all up? That sounds like fun. You taste delicious. But then what would I have for lunch?"

I took her downstairs and strapped her into her highchair, and handed her half a banana to snack on while I made her cereal.

"Momma," she chortled, and my mood darkened for a moment. I shook it away, and faced the little darling again.

"Listen to your father and make sure you only ever consider marrying somebody who loves you as much as you love them. And also, never even consider dating anyone whose heart clearly belongs to someone else. That is just madness. And it never ends well. If only someone had said those words to me."

She squashed the banana on her tray and dropped a piece onto the floor, gazing down in wonder at where it had disappeared to.

"Bye bye," she chanted, then grinned her cheeky little grin at me.

"Okay, how about you eat or or Daddy takes it away?"

I grabbed a cloth and wiped her sticky little hands, then sat down on a chair and started spooning oatmeal into her waiting mouth.

My Girl loves her cereal.

She shivered in anticipation of each new spoonful.

"Edward," a cheerful voice called from the front doorway. Can I come in?"

"Sure, Mom. Look who is here. It's Nanny Esme. She has come to play with you while Daddy is at work. Won't that be fun?"

Mom approached the high chair and kissed my daughter on top of her shiny reddish curls.

"How are we today? Oh, you ate all your cereal. What a good baby."

She looked up at me and mouthed the usual worried greeting.

_Any news? Has Bella come back?_

"Mom, it's fine to actually speak out loud. The baby doesn't understand what you are saying, you know. No. No word. I guess she and Jacob have made a clean break. I honestly don't expect her to ever come back. I think it's been long enough now. If she was going to change her mind and come home, she would have done it already."

Mom smiled awkwardly.

I guess it was a difficult situation for every single member of our family and none of them knew what to say.

Right from day one, the first time I finally convinced Bella Swan to go out on a date with me just weeks after her relationship with Jacob Black seemed to be finally over for good, it was as if they had all been waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I'd been willing to be her rebound guy, but I'd never wanted to become what she had made me.

Her revenge fuck.

If only I had faced up to that back then. I could have saved myself so much grief.

She had never wanted me, she had just used me to hurt Jake, after he had cheated on her with that black haired girl on the Res.

And then everything had spiraled out of control.

Bella had become pregnant.

She'd gone running back to Jake and he'd tossed her aside and told her she was damaged goods now. He would never want her again.

She'd come back to me, but only because she had nowhere else to go.

She'd stayed, like a little bird trapped in a cage, and carried our daughter but I knew deep down she never bonded with the golden haired baby, because what she really wanted was a little black haired infant with his eyes, and his honey coloured skin, not my milky white skinned daughter.

After that, it had merely been a waiting game.

I'd come home after every shift at the hospital expecting to find the house empty and a short note left waiting for me.

She had never gotten over him. Jacob Black had her heart and there was no room in it left for me or, it seemed, for our child either.

I'd feared so much that Bella would take the baby away with her, but no.

All she had wanted was to be with her true soul mate, and we were not needed.

"Maybe it's time to gain some closure and just accept this is your life now," Mom said sadly.

"I know I have to do that, but how? I miss her. Okay, she was a nightmare sometimes , most of the time, and she broke my heart on a daily basis, but I still love her, Mom. I want her back."

"Edward, she was never yours. Not really. You must have known that."

I handed the baby to my mother and stomped outside.

It felt like my body was tearing apart from within and my skin would split apart, and all that would be left of me was a pile of dust, to blow away in the wind.

My home phone rang and I reluctantly walked inside to answer it.

"Edward?"

My father's voice sounded hesitant. This was not good news.

My stomach clenched, because always there in the back of my mind was the fear one day Bella would do something reckless.

Escape this life in a permanent way.

"Say it," I begged. Just say it and let it be over. I can't take any more.

"Edward. Bella's back. She's in the hospital unconscious. She fell and hit her head. Tyler almost hit her with his car, but she jumped out of the way just in time. You need to come in here now."

"Is she alright?" I asked, stunned. Bella had come back. I never saw that coming.

"I think she will be fine but there are some problems. Probably temporary."

"What problems, Dad?"

"She came to pretty much immediately after she was brought in to ER and James called me of course. I checked her over and I don't think there's any reason to worry but there is one problem.

She has no idea who I am."

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"She answered all my questions. She knows the year, and who the President is, and where she is, but then she thanked me for taking care of her, and asked me my name."

"Seriously? That's just weird," I agreed.

"So, I thought, maybe it would help if you came in and we see how she reacts when she sees you."

I wonder how she will?

If she is undamaged and of her right mind, she will probably tell me to Fuck Off and start asking for Jake.

I told Mom the short version of what was happening and kissed them both before heading for my car.

I just wonder what state my wife will be in when I get there.

xxxx

Billy Black stifled a sob as Sam Uley finished speaking.

"But they are alive?" he checked.

"Barely. They jumped from the highest clifftop at Dead Man's Bluff. Quil and Embry witnessed the whole thing from Land's End and acted swiftly. If they hadn't been there, so close, and gotten to them so fast, it would be a different story."

Nobody had ever survived a jump from Dead Man's Bluff before, hence the name. It was a notorious suicide location. Nobody bothered with the uncertainty of self inflicted gunshot wounds not hitting the crucial spot, and risking a horrific survival, maimed and disfigured; or dosed themselves with pills that after all, your body may reject and expel, maybe resulting in a much nastier death by asphyxiation. No, the perfect tool was right there waiting, no risk involved.

You jumped, you died.

And nobody, not even the most reckless teenage boys from the tribe had ever used that peak as a place to cliff dive from. It was beyond dangerous. It was suicidal.

Billy moved his hands and turned the wheelchair around so he no longer had to look at the man.

"Do you think...were they..."

"I don't see how there could be any other answer. Embry said at first they were just standing there, on the edge. Jake was kissing Bella, and she seemed to collapse into his arms, crying, I guess. Then they both stood up straight, joined hands, and jumped.

They were trying to kill themselves," Sam replied quietly, his voice filled with the same fear and sorrow Billy was experiencing.

"You know how much they just wanted to be together, and Jacob has been so depressed ever since Bella married Edward Cullen. I guess they just wanted an ending, so there could be a new beginning, in the next life..."

Billy cringed. Jake had always placed too much trust in the old stories. If life got too tough here, then do as many an ancestor had done in the past, and just end this life now, knowing a shiny new better life would begin immediately.

Die together, and be forever bonded in future existences with your true love.

He wished he had never told his son the stories.

"Are they going to be okay? Did the doctor tell you anything?"

"Well, thanks to the boys, it seems neither have suffered anything irreversible. And Quil ran off to call for emergency services as soon as they had them both out of the water, while Embry kept watch.

The rescue chopper was there in minutes.

The doctor who admitted them into Seattle Hospital said he didn't think either of them was in immediate danger but it will be a very long, slow recovery and at the moment they are both unconscious. Bella was awake when they pulled her out but the specialist decided to put her into an induced coma to give her any chance of surviving and he says he actually thinks she is already stabilizing, so that's a positive sign.

Jake hasn't regained consciousness at all. Yet. It's bad, Billy, I won't lie. But there is hope. For both of them. We mustn't give up."

Billy turned the chair back to face Sam.

" I wonder where they have been hiding all these weeks? Why didn't they just run off together, somewhere far away and pretend they had never been apart?

Thank you for coming back all this way to tell me yourself. I don't think I could have handled hearing this by phone. How is Emily? And the baby? It's lucky for me that you were there."

"Emily is fine, she will be released later this week. The baby has to stay for quite a while yet. He's twelve weeks early, but despite that, the doctor thinks his chances are excellent. He didn't need to go on life support and he's breathing on his own already, so it's looking hopeful.

Don't you worry about them, Jake is the one who needs your hopes and prayers now."

"I have to tell Charlie about this myself. Will you drive me there?"

"Of course," Sam replied.

He wasn't looking forward to this part.

Bella Swan Cullen may not be one of his favourite people, and she could be quite abrasive and tactless, but when she was with Jake, she was a different person altogether. They should have been the ones caught out.

A baby would have cemented them even closer together and this whole disaster would never have happened.

If only that little pale skinned auburn haired infant had been Jake's...

xxx

Sam lifted the chair from the back of the truck and helped Billy back into it, then pushed the chair towards the front door of Charlie Swan's house.

Just as they were about to knock, they both turned as the police cruiser pulled up behind their vehicle, and Charlie himself stepped out.

"Hey. Here to watch the game?" Charlie said with a laugh, holding up a six pack of vitamin R. "I had a bet with myself you two would be over tonight to catch it on my flat screen. It's going to be one hell of a game."

"Charlie," Billy said falteringly, hating to break the news and wipe the smile from his best friends face. "We didn't come for that. I'm so sorry. It's not good news, Charlie."

"What isn't? What happened?" Charlie asked, his face instantly wary and grave.

"It's Bella. She's been hurt."

Charlie shook his head.

"Billy, she's fine. The car didn't actually hit her. She jumped back just in time and fell. She bumped her head a little. Carlisle is keeping her in overnight but he said she will be fine. She's a bit dazed and he thinks she has concussion but it's not serious. Don't worry about her. She was sitting up asking for coffee by the time I left the hospital. Boy, news travels fast. To be honest, I'm just so glad she's back and alive and going to be okay. Is there any news about Jake? I admit I thought they'd run off together. It seemed like the obvious conclusion."

"You saw Bella? In Forks hospital?"

"Yes. Room 54 if you want to visit. Just don't freak out if she doesn't recognize you. Carlisle said it's temporary, just part of the concussion. She will be her old self before we know it. Edward's there at her bedside, of course."

"Bella was in a car accident and now she is in Fork's Hospital and she fell and bumped her head? And you saw and spoke to her yourself? Today? You are sure it's her?" Billy asked, confused.

Sam scratched his head.

"So, it would seem it wasn't Bella on that clifftop with Jake after all. I wonder who the girl is?" he mumbled quietly to his friend.

Charlie looked at them both impatiently.

"I think I know my own daughter. Tyler Crowley lost control of his new sports car on the bend in town and Bella was walking over from the bus station. He almost hit her; she fell; she hit her head. Dave took her to Forks hospital in the ambulance. And Edward is there, at her bedside, as I said. We can't both be wrong. It's Bella alright."

"Then I'm glad she is okay and you have her back," Billy said. "We have to go. Jake was in an accident himself. He's in Seattle General. Sam's driving me there."

"I hope he's not badly hurt. Let me know after you get there. Call my cell phone in case I'm out on a call or back visiting my daughter, okay? I want to know how he is. I'm relieved we were wrong. I mean, maybe they did run off together, but obviously Bella had second thoughts and came back. I knew she would never desert her daughter."

"I'm relieved too. I will call you." Billy reassured him, and Sam pushed the wheelchair back to the truck.

"So," Sam said as he pulled away into the street," who on Earth is the girl Jake jumped with, if she is not Bella Swan Cullen?"

xxxx

**OK, now I need help. As any regular readers know, I like very few girl's names and tend to use Lucy, Scarlet, Kristabelle over and over, so please leave your suggestion for Edward's daughter's name in your review and no, please, no Renesmee's.**

**I only have one daughter myself and used the only girl's name I love and wanted to use, so had she been born with a twin sister, the other baby would not have had a name for months. Boys names..I always had way more than I could use. They all have 3 names each.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, if you read Chapter One before I edited it, you won't know that I changed the twins around at the suggestion of a reader who felt I was straying too far from cannon, so now Annabella is the bad wife and Isabella is the other twin who grew up with Renee. I did reply to anyone who had left a review at that point but obviously couldn't tell non reviewers and Guest reviewers. Cheers.**

The Other Twin

Chapter 2

I/BPOV

When I first opened my eyes, I pretty much wondered if I had died and gone to Heaven. The man in the white coat was simply the best looking member of the male species I had ever laid eyes on.

He carried out all the necessary tests, and decided I had been extremely lucky, but when I thanked him and asked him his name, he had reacted in an unexpected way.

He did tell me he was Dr Carlisle Cullen, but I got the idea he thought I should know already.

He looked quite perplexed as he excused himself and left me alone.

Then as my head stopped aching and my brain started to clear, it hit me.

Something really weird was going on.

I couldn't actually quite grasp who I was. What my name was.

I was pretty sure I knew what I looked like but that space in your brain that reminds you of the everyday facts you never consciously think about seemed gone, or broken.

I was coming up blank.

He'd called me Bella.

That sounded quite familiar, so who was I to argue?

Maybe I was this Bella person.

I tried saying other names out loud and none of them rang any bells, although Marie seemed familiar as well.

Though was Marie my name or just the name of someone that I knew?

My brain ached.

I decided it could all wait for later, when the thumping abated.

I was almost asleep when I heard someone call out "Dr Cullen", so I figured I would just wait, and when he came back in, I'd ask him all the questions floating around inside my head. He would know the answers.

Maybe he could give me a pill that would fix my absent memory.

I wasn't too freaked out because I knew doctors fixed things. He would fix me.

Then I noticed the wristband and read out the name printed on it.

Annabella Swan Cullen.

Annabella Swan Cullen.

Nuh.

Doesn't sound right.

Or did it mean my name was 'Annabella Swan' and my doctor was 'Cullen'?

That made more sense but it still seemed a strange way to tag patients.

He must have so many women come through this hospital fantasizing that their surname is Cullen, and that they are married to the Dishy Doc.

Anyway, why such a long clumsy first name?

I realised in a flash that I didn't _like _my own name.

Maybe I should be just Bella, or just Anna...

Why did 'Anna' make me picture a big, bouncy Golden Retriever in my brain?

I mean, I could see this dog, and it was as if I was watching it on a dvd. It was jumping up and it's paws disturbed a pile of loose papers, and they fell to the floor. I could hear laughing, and a woman started trying to hold the dog down plus collect the papers.

She didn't sound cross but I heard her voice clearly.

"_How about you help me instead of sitting there laughing, Bella?"_

Okay, I was just Bella.

But I was also overcome by a feeling of sadness.

Oh God, that woman and the dog are both dead.

I have no idea how I know that, but I do. It's a fact.

And although I don't know who they are, I do know I miss them both terribly.

My heartbeat jumped around and I gasped for air.

I missed them, I loved them, and I had no freaking idea who they were.

God, I need Dr Cullen to fix me.

I could hear a nurse outside in the corridor, flirting away with Dr Cullen, dropping his name into every sentence. She was being a little obvious and I felt a bit embarrassed on her behalf as she suggested way too eagerly that he might like to meet up later after work for a drink and who knows? Maybe he could drive her home and she would be soooo grateful.

I cringed.

Desperate at all, woman?

Leave the poor Doctor alone.

I wasn't all that surprised, he was definitely a looker and that thick blonde hair and those gorgeous blue eyes must turn many a head.

His voice sounded oddly different to how I thought I remembered it; he sounded younger, but then, as Homer Simpson would say, I had 'brained my damage' so it wasn't entirely dependable any more.

I smirked as he turned her down, saying this conversation was hardly appropriate in the circumstances, and anyway, at this point in his life his daughter had to be his main priority.

Oh, he has a daughter. Nice. I wonder if she is around my own age? I could do with a friend.

I must ask him about her.

She must be the most beautiful woman in this town if she has taken after him.

I straightened my bed cover as I heard him break off the conversation impatiently and walk towards my door.

However, the Dr Cullen who entered my room was an entirely different man and as unbelievable as this is, this new one was even more gorgeous.

From his kind of wild, untamed auburn hair, to his luminous green eyes, to his slightly crooked smile, he was just...perfect.

"Bella," he said hesitantly as he walked in. "How are you feeling?"

"Not so bad. Listen, there's something I need to explain."

"Later. I just want to know one thing. Were you coming home to us when you were almost hit?"

I looked at him in shock.

No way.

He was somebody close to me in my life? Wow, lucky me.

He clearly was waiting for an answer.

"I guess that depends on exactly who you are," I answered.

"Seriously. You are going with the whole 'I hit my head and now I have no responsibility for anything I have done lately' line? Convenient. A little cliche."

"If you say so," I snarked angrily. Boy, did this guy have issues or what? Who the Hell did he think he was? Just because he was God's Gift to womankind did not mean he could make assumptions like that about me, Bella...Bella Something...rats, whatever my name is.

"Go away. I don't like you," I stated, laying down and turning my back to him.

"Stop being so childish and at least admit what you have done. The whole world does not revolve around you, Annabella. I may get why you left me, but how could you turn your back on our daughter? What did she ever do to deserve to be treated that way?"

I turned back in shock.

I left him?

I had a daughter?

That just didn't ring true at all. And if I had walked out on him clearly my brain had already been damaged earlier, before the fall.

Fall?

Hmm.

My head throbbed more on the right side than the left. And this man's tone was just annoying. He didn't know me. Or maybe he did.

I sighed. It was entirely possible he knew me far better than I knew myself.

"Let me get this straight. You are what? My partner? Boyfriend?"

"Try husband," he growled, his teeth clenched tightly together.

"Husband?"

I automatically raised my left hand and checked for a band of gold.

Nope.

None.

"You left your wedding ring on the bedside table at home. With the note."

"Oh. What did this note say?"

He reddened.

"Nothing I care to repeat. I didn't keep it. I burned it in the fireplace."

"So, I'm guessing it wasn't a love letter then."

"More a very unkind and cruel version of a Dear John letter," he said, still angry.

"At least I did leave a note. Please tell me what it said. I truly have no idea."

Dr Cullen-the-best- looking-version stared at me intently.

I felt myself withering under his wrathful glare.

"Fine. Basically the message was that you had decided to run away with your lover, Jake Black. I bet you have no trouble remembering him. Where is he, by the way?"

I shrugged but there was just the slightest tingle of intrigue about how phenomenally beautiful my lover was if he was better looking than this, my 'husband'.

Wait.

My lover?

I'm a cheater?

Although I had no idea who I was and how I conducted myself, I was instantly ashamed and disappointed at hearing I was some kind of floozy. Not to mention clearly insane if I had cheated on this guy.

"I have no idea. Look, I'm sorry for whatever I have done, but to be honest I don't know you from Adam. And I have no clue who this Jack Black is. I presume he isn't that famous actor, right? Just someone with the same name."

"Jake Black. Jacob," Dr Cullen replied, looking a little concerned now. "Just how hard did you hit your head?"

"Hard enough to knock out all my memories, clearly," I suggested. "Look, I know I don't deserve to ask any favours from you after I obviously treated you badly and all that, but you mentioned we have a daughter? Is that true? I can't imagine myself with a kid. I may not remember anything but surely nobody could forget their own child, How old is she? What is her name?"

"Don't. If you are faking this whole thing, please have the common decency to at least acknowledge our beautiful baby girl. Carry on however you want about supposedly forgetting me, and Jake, but don't pretend you don't remember Emma. Bella, even you could not be that cruel."

I felt dampness on my cheeks and raised my fingers to wipe them away.

How the Hell could I cry over a child I didn't even remember? How could I have left her behind?

Little girls needed their mother, that much I knew for a fact.

"I'm so sorry. Is she okay? Does she have somebody to hold her, and keep her safe, when you aren't with her?" I asked.

Dr Cullen sat down on the chair beside my bed and dropped his head into his hands.

"Stop it. Just don't, Bella. Don't pretend you care when you haven't so much as called to make sure she has survived your abandoning her. You cannot possibly care about her at all, so stop the crocodile tears. They won't fool anyone."

"I really am a pretty despicable person, aren't I ? " I said in wonder.

Just then another man strode through the door.

I almost wanted to laugh, despite everything, at the sixties porn star moustache he proudly wore.

"Bella? I see you had a change of heart. I knew you would never stay away. Not with that dear little petal waiting for you at home. How are you feeling?"

I looked him over carefully. Was he yet another Dr Cullen? Probably not. Not handsome enough to be related to those two men.

"Might I ask who you are?" I said politely.

The man looked from my face to Dr Cullen's, and raised his eyebrows.

"What's wrong with her, Edward?"

Edward.

What a strange old fashioned name for such a hottie. I had been thinking maybe Dane, or Christian. Or maybe Lukas. He could pass for a Lukas.

Or what about Brandon? I liked that name.

"It appears my wife has some form of amnesia, Charlie. She claims to have no idea who I am, or who my father is, or even you. And she pretends she cares about Emma. We both know that isn't true."

"Emma," I repeated. I felt my lips form a smile. "That's just the cutest girl's name ever. Does she have a middle name?"

"Catelin," Dr Edward replied, watching my face.

The Charlie guy looked surprised.

Edward held up a single finger to indicate the man was not to speak.

"Emma Catelin Cullen," I said softly.

"She really doesn't remember, if you ask me," Charlie stated. "Bella, it's Carly. Emma Carly Cullen."

"Then why did you say Catelin?" I questioned.

Edward blushed.

"Oh. I see. It was a test. Did I pass? As I really don't remember either of you guys, maybe you could just leave me alone until I get my memory back, and then you can feel free to fuck with my head," I snarled.

"Oh yes, that's sounds much more like the Bella we know and tolerate," Edward said with a laugh.

"I guess I should introduce myself," Charlie said, walking closer to my bed. "I'm Charlie Swan. Your father."

All I could hear was a sudden rush of water inside my head, and my eyes closed and I just let it sweep back into the darkness.

xxxx

When I woke up again, I thought for a second I was remembering, but then I realised all my so called memories ended with me knowing the tall Greek God was Edward, my husband, who hated me, and the shorter, plainer brown haired guy was my father, Charlie.

Neither were even slightly familiar beyond those facts.

The Other Dr Cullen was at my bedside again, shining some kind of light into my eyes.

I blinked irritably and wished he would stop. It hurt.

"I think we need to do a few more tests. Edward, could you ring down and get someone to take Bella for a cat scan and an MRI, please. Bella, do you remember me?"

"Sure. You are the nice Dr Cullen," I replied.

He laughed.

"The not so nice one is my son, Edward. You will have to forgive him. He has been worried sick ever since you...disappeared."

"Was I gone long?" I asked, intrigued.

"A month, give or take a few says. Bella, this man here is Dr Jasper Whitlock. He is our Mental Health Worker and he has some questions for you. Is that okay?"

"Sure," I replied, copping a look at the tall shaggy haired blonde man at his side.

Where was this place again?

Did they have some sort of covenant that ninety per cent of the male population had to be hot?

Poor Charlie, he must feel like the odd man out with all these male models swanning around town.

I had a feeling I had been planning to leave and go home, once I figured out where home was, but maybe I could stay and recuperate for a while instead. And just enjoy the eye candy.

Dr Jasper sat down on the chair beside the bed.

He was not only pretty and had a beautiful smile but he felt just wonderful. His aura must be every colour of the rainbow. I had never met a man who exuded such sweetness and genuine caring.

"Can you tell me anything you do remember? Do you know why you are here, in the hospital?"

I shut my eyes and instantly sucked in a shaky breath.

"Car, blue, shiny. Oh Hell, it's going to hit me," I panicked.

I felt Dr Jasper place a hand on my shoulder and I instantly calmed down.

"You are safe now. We will take care of you. Don't worry, just let it go."

His voice was quite hypnotic and I didn't even try to fight it.

It made me feel like someone had wrapped me up in a warm wooly blanket and taken me into their arms, and rocked me like an infant.

I opened my eyes again and looked into Dr Jasper's nice blue eyes.

"I got run over by a sports car."

"Almost. You dodged out of the way, and fell and hit your head. Now before that? How did you get home? Did Jake bring you back?"

"Is Jake a bus driver?" I checked. "I seem to sort of remember being on a bus? Maybe?"

Nice Dr Cullen frowned.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. In time. It's probably just some temporary loss of memory. Usually , in most cases, patients start to get everything back within a few days. I'll be right back."

Dr Jasper stayed with me so I felt safer than I ever had before.

Dr Cullen walked over to where his son waited, standing aggressively; arms crossed in front of his chest like he was keeping me away.

"Edward, she doesn't remember Jacob. I think this is real, and more serious than I first thought."

Charlie walked over and stood beside me.

"Bells, I have to go shortly but is there anything you would like?"

"Coffee?" I suggested.

"Not until after the tests," Dr Cullen replied.

"I'll wait until you come back, and I promise to have a nice hot espresso, no sugar."

"Thanks but no thanks. I was thinking a flat white, two sugar. Okay?"

"Okay, no problem." he replied with a confused look.

xxxx

Billy Black sat beside the bed nearest the nurses station in the Critical Care Unit and looked down at his son's face and hardly recognized him.

"Yes, this is Jacob. Is he going to recover?"

The man in the fancy suit frowned.

"We are cautiously optimist of a fairly good outcome, but it will take a lot of time and care. His surgery went well, we relieved the pressure on his brain, but I'm afraid we cannot state with any certainty that he hasn't been left with some degree of further damage. Only time will tell. He will be put into a medically induced coma, presuming he wakes up at some point, and then it will literally be an hour by hour, day by day wait until we can assess his condition with any accuracy.

I'm sorry the news isn't better. We will do our very best, I can promise you that.

Mr Uley tentatively identified the woman who was found with your son, but now he had doubts that he got it right. Would you come with me into the Intensive Care Ward for a moment and see if you recognize her?"

Sam pushed the wheelchair up to the bed and Billy thought quickly.

This _was_ Annabella Swan Cullen, there was no doubt in his mind. He lifted her hand and turned it slightly so the light caught the nearly invisible crescent shaped mark on her wrist. Beneath the new bruises and cuts it was almost impossible to see. It had come about years ago, when she and Jake had been fooling around play fighting and his son's pet wolf had mistakenly thought Bella was trying to harm Jacob.

The dog had snapped and grabbed her arm at the wrist to protect his master, and Bella had been left marked by the dog's teeth.

So that just left the real question.

Who was the doppelganger in Fork's Hospital who was pretending to be Bella? She must look very like her, to fool Charlie.

Edward, not so much.

He'd been fooled into thinking many things that weren't true in the past.

Like, that Bella and Jake were done.

And that Bella was willing to try and be a decent wife to him, when any fool could tell she was just looking for a safe harbour to shelter in until Jake took her back.

He was really sorry the child had ever been born, both because it had created a road block and caused Jacob to say some terrible things to his soul mate and reject her harshly, but also because he knew the little girl was suffering because her own mother did not care for her at all.

That was just wrong, but even after he sat both Bella and Jake down and warned them they had to accept that the child needed her mother, and it was time for them to accept they could not be together in this life because that would cause too much suffering to other people, he knew they would not listen.

He'd had no idea they would ever consider doing anything as permanent as what they tried; he'd assumed at worst, they'd run off and disappear and nobody would ever see them again.

At first that had seemed to be what had happened.

If only it had been true.

And even now, if they do recover and get well, it won't be a happy ever after because Bella will always want to be with Jake, and Jake will always take her back.

He'd gotten over the whole feeling betrayed by her having Edward Cullen's baby thing, after all.

If a man could forgive that, then he could forgive anything.

There was no point correctly identifying this girl as Annabella Swan Cullen.

It would only lead to confusion and more heartbreak and there had been enough of that already.

No.

Let the imposter have her wish.

Let the palefaces think they had won, and that they had their Bella back.

Whoever that girl was, she would not thank him for revealing the truth, and this way she could have a life as Mrs Edward Cullen, and Jacob and Bella would be free to stay together forever.

"Yes, I do know who this is. This is my best friend Harry's daughter. He died recently of a heart attack. Her whole family is gone now, she is a double orphan. She has been living with us. Her name is Bella Clearwater."

Sam stifled a gasp and frowned at Billy.

"It's okay, Sam. With all facial swelling and these cuts and bruises it's not surprising you thought she was someone else. But look, here, on her wrist. Remember this dog bite? She is definitely Bella Clearwater. Please call me immediately when she wakes up. She will need to see a friendly face as no doubt she will be quite confused. I am her family now."

"I'm afraid we are looking at months rather than weeks before she will be brought out of the coma. Feel free to visit as often as you wish, and we will keep you updated by phone anyway. Here's the number you should call. It is my number and if I'm not here, my receptionist shall put you through to my personal cell phone.

Nurse, could you see that Miss Clearwater is correctly tagged and her records are changed to show her real name? Thank you. Now, have another patient to see. Excuse me."

Billy laboriously filled in all the details on the forms for his friend's daughter and gave his own address as hers, then he kissed her hand between where the multiple drips where inserted, and said goodbye, for now, to her.

Then he took his mother's ring from his pocket and slid it onto Bella's finger so when she awoke, she would know she belonged to Jacob and the Quileute tribe now, and not to the pale faced Cullen.

xxxxx

EPOV

Carlisle whistled as he checked the test results.

"I'm guessing this poor girl landed on her head quite a few times in the past. Charlie must have dropped her on a regular basis when she was an infant."

"Dad, don't be mean. You know it was a challenge for Bella to walk on a flat surface and not fall over something; a blade of grass; a bus ticket. Remember that time she almost fell of the cliff at First Beach when her hat blew off her head?"

If it hadn't been for me catching her hand, she would have flown right off onto the rocks below.

Jake hadn't noticed.

He had been too busy chatting up Leah.

Using her just as Bella would use me a few weeks later when she caught him out in the woods with his pants around his ankles and Leah's legs wrapped around his waist as he fucked her up against a convenient tree.

He'd said it had been merely physical and hadn't meant anything to him, and oddly I believed him. There had never been anyone else in his heart but Bella.

She'd been keeping him at arm's length in an attempt to 'revirginize' herself before their wedding.

Despite having been sleeping with him since she was barely sixteen, suddenly she wanted to 'save herself for the honeymoon' the moment he had put an engagement ring on her finger.

Jake had warned her if he wasn't getting sex from her, he would get it elsewhere but she had arrogantly decided he was bluffing.

He wasn't.

I'd never liked him, and was unsurprised when she came running to me that day, crying her eyes out as she told me what she had seen.

I'd held her in my arms and tried to calm her down, and of course, fool that I am, I had promised to be there for her whenever she needed me.

Once she stopped weeping bitter broken hearted tears onto my shirt, she flown into a rage of epic proportions and sworn she would never go within ten miles of him ever again, for as long as she lived.

For weeks that followed, she and I hung out together and I listened to her rants and dried her tears and finally she seemed to accept it really was over and she could move on.

I'd been so happy.

What a fool.

I'd taken her into my bed and made love to her, and kissed her until my lips ached, and all the time she was recording it on her phone to show to Jacob.

Even I couldn't forgive her treachery after that, and for months I stayed right away, until the day she came to tell me she was pregnant.

I was surprised to say in the least, that she had even told me. Didn't girls today, who had been with the 'wrong' guy and gotten caught out just end it quickly and cleanly without anyone knowing?

Bella had explained she just did not believe in abortion.

No matter what it would cost her to continue the pregnancy, she felt it was what she had to do.

Of course she was terrified that this course of action would result in her losing Jacob Black forever, but even so, there must be some small part of her that is good, and decent, because she refused to do what Jake wanted, and just get rid of my baby.

And she was distraught that Jake wanted her to.

She couldn't get her head around how he saw it as just my child; not part of her as well.

If he truly loved her, why couldn't he understand this baby was hers?

After all, if he had made Leah pregnant, she would have stood by him and accepted his child, because it would be HIS child.

That would have been enough reason to love it, even.

But Jake didn't feel that way.

He not only wanted the child inside her dead but he also told Bella he would rather she was dead than pregnant to me.

That was what drove her back to me, and, yes, I forgave her.

I kidded myself that we had a real chance to become a proper little family. Just her and me and our wonderful little baby who would be part of each of us.

And she had agreed to marry me. Not even out of hate and revenge either. No, out of complete hopelessness. I can admit that now, though not at the time. She was finally convinced Jake would never take her back, and there was no future for her now. None that she wanted, anyway.

So, I guess she concluded, why not?

Why not grab on to what was left on offer and marry the rich doctor?

Better than a life as a single Mom, struggling to pay their way on Welfare.

Not that it would have ever come to that.

I know Charlie would have been happy to let her go back and live with him, but Bella was angry at him at the time because he had recently married Sue, a woman Bella did not care for at all.

I guess she felt she wasn't wanted anywhere, apart from in my arms, and I foolishly thought I could make her love me.

For the duration of the pregnancy, I really thought we were making progress. Okay, she didn't seem even slightly excited at the prospect of having the baby and I had assured her I would take over all childcare duties, and Esme came on board and said if Bella wanted to stay on at her job at the library, then she was happy to babysit every single time I was on shift, or needed to get some sleep.

We had it all sorted. Bella could be a Mom but only have to contribute as much or as little time and energy into her new role as she wanted.

When Emma was born, I noticed how disinterested Bella was in seeing the baby for the first time.

She'd been questioning Carlisle, begging him to check and make sure she had not been left with any stretchmarks in places she couldn't see for herself while pregnant, and she wanted to know if 'everything below decks' was shipshape and undamaged.

I was so besotted with the baby and showing her off to my Mom and brother Emmett and his wife Rose, that I didn't take it to heart that Bella was far more concerned with her own body than with her amazing little daughter.

I thought maybe she was a little depressed or exhausted by the birth, but the next few days nothing changed.

I tried to get her to discuss what we would name the baby. I took in Baby Name Books, and looked up the most popular girls names on the internet and printed them out to show her.

It just made her angry and finally she threw them all on the floored and screamed the words I have tried to obliterate from my brain ever since.

"Edward, for God's sake, name it whatever you want. I don't care. It's just some parasite that sucked out my lifeblood and left me with this disgusting roll of fat around my waist that I will probably never get rid of.

Why would I care what name you give it?

If it were down to me it would have been tossed out the window of the Delivery Room.

It's your kid, not mine.

Go play Happy Families but leave me the Hell out of it.

I need to join the gym.

Where's a phone? Give me your credit card."

I'd taken the baby to the hospital nursery and told Rosalie to keep her in there unless I took her out, and I spent every spare minute in there with Emma, bathing and changing her, and feeding her the formula that was the only option available.

Bella practically threw my Father out of her room when he tried to tell her she should at least express her breast milk for me to feed the baby by bottle.

And the next day she checked herself out, and went off for six weeks to recuperate at a Health Spa.

I took Emma home and became Mother and Father to her, and watched the charges mount up on my credit card bill.

I knew she was alive, and safe, and I hoped she would calm down and miss the baby, and come home to us.

Geez, I seem to have spent a lot of time waiting for Bella to come home.

Come home she did, late one night.

I got up to close my bedroom window against the rain and there she was, a sodden defeated figure standing outside in the downpour, looking like she no longer cared if she lived or died.

I brought her inside and put her into the shower, and rubbed her dry, then go her into pajamas and into bed and lay beside her, holding her against my body to warm up.

She felt frozen, despite the hot water, and the blankets and my own body heat.

She told me in the early dawn that she had been to find Jake, and he had rejected her again, and told her he wished she had died during childbirth.

I thought surely, surely this has to be the final straw.

How could she even want to go back to him after that?

For months afterwards she was like a zombie, sitting in the old wooden rocker by the window, waiting, watching for him.

Esme and I managed to look after Emma between us, and look after Bella who seemed incapable of looking after herself, and my life became one long round of spoon feeding an infant and a woman reduced to infancy again herself.

And then one day, she was gone.

All she left behind was a note, and the gold wedding ring I'd slid on her finger that hopeful day that seemed so long ago.

Mom was right.

Bella had never been mine, and I expect, even if she comes back home to recuperate this time, it will be all for nothing.

Soon enough, he will be back, and off she will go again.

Nothing will ever change.

xxxx

Dad pointed to a small dark patch and shook his head.

"Show me," I requested and we both looked in despair at the tiny area of damage on Bella's brain.

"I might have been wrong. It might be permanent, Edward."

Permanent?

I laughed out loud and Carlisle looked mystified for a moment, because he is all doctor and to make any diagnosis that involved the tragedy of someone losing any past of themselves was a disaster in his eyes.

But not in mine.

"What if she truly has forgotten Jake ever existed? What if even when he comes back, she has no idea who he is, and no feelings at all for him?"

Okay, it seemed funny to me.

"But what if my original diagnosis is right, and one day, maybe years from now, she remembers him?"

"Then maybe by then she will have fallen in love with Emma and want to be part of her life anyway," I stated calmly.

"Edward, you are not going to forgive her and take her back, surely? Even if she never remembers him, you know she does not and has never loved you."

I rubbed my forehead.

"When you married Mom, didn't you do so with a heart full of unconditional love? Why would I have stood there and promised my wife anything less? If Bella wants to come home, she will be welcome.

If she stays long enough to fall in love with Emma, then fantastic. That's all I ask.

I know she doesn't love me and she never will, but surely we can forget the past and be friends. Parents to the same child, if nothing more. I'm doing this for my daughter, Carlisle, because, guess what? I love her unconditionally as well. Live with it."

xxxx

Maybe I am a complete idiot but the idea of Emma never knowing her Mom scares me.

Maybe Bella will be different now.

Who knows?

Brain damage, even minor damage, leaves every patient differently affected. We had one man in once, the most loving father imaginable, wake up after a car accident a completely different man.

Suddenly he hated his wife and his children, and in the end, despite everything we tried and every drug Jasper prescribed, he ended up divorced, abandoned by his family for their own sakes, as they had to protect themselves from this new hate filled violent man who did not resemble the former man at all.

It had been an extreme case, but if that could happen to him, maybe the opposite could happen to my wife.

It was not impossible.

And if Bella ever did or said anything to scar my daughter, I would toss her out into the street myself, and tell her to go live in the forest.

She deserved a second chance but she had better remember that she is on parole and her every move will be watched very carefully by Esme and myself, because Emma is now my top priority. And nobody will ever hurt my child and get away with it.

xxxx

That night I went back to the hospital but Bella was asleep so I left the bag I had packed for her under the bed.

Asleep, she looked beautiful.

It was so hard to reconcile this beauty with the harpy I knew her to be.

How could God make a girl so perfect on the outside and so cold hearted on the inside?

It just didn't seem fair.

I sat there and watched her sleep.

She became restless after a while, and started to call out for her Mom.

I had never met Renee, but neither had Bella, so that was strange.

Then she started to cry.

I lay down on the bed beside and held her tightly and kissed her forehead.

"Shh, Bella. It's okay. You are safe now."

Maybe she was dreaming of shiny blue sports cars.

It was only when I heard Carlisle approaching to check on his patient that I got up and covered her with another blanket before leaving the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**My challenge for this story was work in 3 Rod Stewart songs and make them relevant to the story so heres the first. **

**Mandolin Wind. Rod Stewart wrote it and sang it, and basically I love it.**

**My husband played it at our wedding.**

Thank you Kimmy for the challenge, I shall do my best.

xxxxxx

The Other Twin

Chapter 3

I/BPOV

Dr Jasper came by again and sat down.

"Bella, I need your agreement that I will be your therapist. Is that what you want?"

"Sure," I agreed. So what if his mumbo jumbo didn't actually help me discover who I was, just getting the chance to sit this close and admire his pretty face was reason enough to consent.

He opened his folder and lifted a few pages out and rested them on my bed while he rifled through looking for a consent form or whatever.

I idly picked up a Missing Person flyer from his papers and looked at it.

It had been trimmed, the only writing on it was the title.

Missing Person.

The guy who was missing was kind of tall and had long black hair. I was surprised to realize I thought he was almost beautiful, because I really prefer men with fair skin and this guy was some kind of Native American Indian.

I felt Jasper's eyes on me and looked up guiltily.

"Bella? What are you thinking?"

I went with the truth.

"Sorry. I was perving on this guy. It's just funny to me because my type is always much the same. Tall, fair skinned, blonde or auburn hair. Green or blue eyes. Yeah, between you and the two Doctors Cullen, I'm pretty much like a kid in a candy store here. I don't want to leave.

I usually despise brown eyes because mine are so flat and empty looking, therefore I don't find them attractive on other people either.

So, I was just surprised I thought that guy was attractive because he doesn't tick any of my boxes, except the 'being tall' box.

I would never date a short man.

Is that heightist?"

He laughed.

"That's interesting. I don't date tall girls or blondes. We all have our preferences. But why did that flyer make you uncomfortable?"

"Because I am apparently married, and looking at other men. I kind of know I must be a terrible person already, from what everyone tells me, but it makes me really sad to know that. I wish I was nicer. I wish I had kept my marriage vows.

You know, I thought I was the kind of girl who really thought everything through and only then took action, and once I made a decision I stuck with it. So I'm shocked that I married Edward, or any man for that matter, then ran off with Jake Whatsit.

It just doesn't feel like something I would do.

Was I on drugs?"

"No. You were depressed, but I don't really want to colour anything you are thinking by telling you any history, okay? What's done is done, and we can't change the past. "

"It must have been so horrible for Edward, though. I really hate myself. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What the fuck did this Jake look like? I mean, I look at Edward and I think, wow, he is perfect. Beyond perfect. He's like the man I would make if I was making a perfect man."

"What do you think Jake looks like?" Jasper asked.

I thought about it carefully. What would a man I would be willing to leave my husband for look like?

"Devastatingly handsome. Tall, slim, not muscley, that just makes me shudder when I see guys with big muscles...blonde, or strawberry blonde...maybe auburn hair...lovely clear green eyes...nice smile...sharp jawline...shit, I'm describing Edward. Okay, shall we go with Edward's twin? I just don't see how to improve on his looks."

"So, what if he didn't look like Edward? What if he looked like me? Or, I dunno, maybe like the guy on the flyer for instance?"

"You...maybe. You are pretty cute but I'm guessing you know that. And you could almost be Edward's brother.

The guy on the flyer? Not so much. He's kind of beautiful in his own way but I guess it's the same as you feel when you see a pretty blonde. Nice to look at but not,,,interesting. No gravitational pull. I'm sure Mr Lost Guy would make a great friend, he does look kind of happy and fun, but no. Not dateworthy."

Jasper seemed to brighten up, probably because I said he was cute, and he gathered his papers and got me to sign on the dotted line.

Then as he was about to put all his papers back in his bag, he looked up at me again.

"You don't want me to leave this flyer with you?

"No...why would I? But if you have any photos of Edward lying about..." I giggled.

"See you tomorrow, Bella."

xxxx

A nurse came in to standby in case I needed her help while I showered. When I had dried off, I looked at the pile of clothing she had put on the bathroom counter.

I picked up the beautiful midnight blue silk nightdress and held it against my cheek. The fabric was so soft and cool against my skin.

Wow, there was no way it was hospital issue.

"Where did this come from?" I asked her when I had it on and walked back to my newly made bed.

"Your husband brought in a bag for you. It's under the bed. You were asleep so he just left it there."

"Are we...I mean, is he rich? This feels like quality lingerie. You'd think I'd remember wearing stuff like this, right?"

She shrugged, and I laughed as I read her eyes or maybe her mind.

"You think it must be impossible to forget Edward, right? I feel that way myself, but I really do not have any memories of him at all. I bet we had a wonderful wedding. You know, my Mom told me to never date anyone prettier than me, so I am gobsmacked that we ever got together in the first place. I would have thought I'd have run a mile if he asked me out, chicken that I am."

"Do you remember your Mom, then?" she asked.

I tried to think.

"No. But sometimes I hear her voice in my head. Weird, right?"

"Oh, I don't know. Whenever I'm out with a hot guy I hear my Mom saying 'Now Victoria, don't jump straight into bed with this one, he could be a keeper if you played your cards right.' I never listen."

We both laughed.

Lunch arrived and I took the lid off my plate and almost gagged.

"What's wrong, Mrs Cullen? Are you ill?" she asked urgently.

I held my breath.

Then my nose.

"Please take it away. I hate tuna. It makes me gag, even the smell..."

She looked very confused but closed the lid back on it and took it away, then she came back and looked at the menu.

"Dr Cullen ticked the box for tuna bake for your lunch. You would think your husband would know you don't like it."

Aha. I was right.

Edward did hate me.

xxxx

EPOV

Jasper grabbed my arm as I walked to my office to change clothes after my shift the next day.

Lunch should be over by now, and I was considering asking Mom to bring the baby in to see Bella. I wanted his opinion.

"Edward, I have to admit that Bella is the most perplexing case I have ever had. I truly believe she has no memories of you, or us, or anyone here at all. She clearly has no idea that I'm married to her best friend.

I dropped Alice's name a few times when we were having coffee together in her room after lunch and she didn't respond. I can't tell you about our first session but Carlisle will be able to read my notes, of course, so if he tells you he believes the same, then don't be surprised."

I ran my hand through my hair.

Just what was I meant to believe? Knowing Bella as I do, I couldn't put it past her to be lying and putting on a very good act to make us all believe she had forgotten who she was. Maybe she was having a good laugh about it behind our backs.

Jasper did seem convinced but I was still wary.

I decided to go with my own instincts. I was pretty sure I could break her if I brought Emma in to see her.

xxxx

I called Esme and asked her to bring the baby in for a visit. Mom tried to argue, and I cut her off.

"Mom, I am not an idiot. I have no intention of leaving Bella alone with Emma. I just want to see how she reacts to her."

If she ignores the baby or insults her in any way then I will wash my hands of her forever, and request that Carlisle has her transferred to Seattle General.

There would be rules attached to any second chance I considered giving her and those rules could not be broken or even bent.

Mom arrived and reluctantly handed Emma over.

"Is this really a good idea?" she started.

"Mom, this is my daughter. My wife. My marriage and my choices. I will do what is best for Emma and myself, believe me, whatever that proves to be. If it means banishing Bella from our lives, so be it.

But if she truly does want to try again, you know I owe it to Emma to give her a chance to grow up with both parents."

"But what if she is nasty to the baby?"

"Emma is too young to know what her mother is saying. If Bella is unkind, I will bring Emma straight back to you. Now, please, go visit Dad in his office and let me try to save what's left of this marriage."

I walked down the hallway and knocked on Bella's open door.

She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, reading a magazine.

That was weird.

Bella hated reading anything.

She must be super bored.

I kept Emma hidden by just standing halfway across the door opening.

"Hi. What are you reading?" I asked.

"Celebrity gossip," she laughed. "Don't judge me. I know it's all made up lies but still...sometimes it can be entertaining. And normally I only read the classics so cut me some slack."

She reads the classics? That's news to me.

"I read a book called Looking For Mr Darcy recently. It was hilarious."

"When was this?" I questioned.

Bella thought for a moment then her face dropped.

"I have no idea. I just know things, and say them before I think them through, and sometimes I even surprise myself with what comes out of my mouth."

"So, how do you feel about having some visitors?" I asked, stepping across so she could see Emma on my previously hidden hip.

Bella's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open when she caught sight of the baby.

"Oh God...Edward...oh please..."

I walked inside and sat down on the bed.

Bella stared at the little girl then looked at me.

"There's no way that this is my daughter," she said in awe.

"Why not?"

"Because...look at her. She's just perfect. So beautiful. I mean, I know she has fifty per cent of your genes but even so, could the genes of the world's most beautiful man really overcome the genes of the girl next door? To this extent?"

I didn't know what to say.

Firstly, Bella had never considered herself as anything but stunningly beautiful. Secondly, she thought Jake Black was the world's most beautiful man and had never thought me even attractive. She had once said she hoped the baby would not be 'handicapped' by having my looks. She didn't like my 'ginger' hair or my pasty white skin, and she had a thing about green eyes.

She thought them unnatural and 'scary'.

Of course she had been disappointed in how Emma looked, seeing the child had taken all her colouring from me.

"Hello little girl," she crooned softly, smiling at our child.

Emma narrowed her eyes and stared back.

"She doesn't know who I am," Bella said suddenly. "I know I was apparently away for a month but isn't she old enough to have remembered me?"

"She didn't see a lot of you when you lived with us," I explained. "You were...ill. Depressed. You didn't spend any time with her."

Bella burst into tears.

I sat there in shock.

"I must be the worst mother in the world. Why did you even bring her here? She would be better off without me."

This didn't seem like an act but it didn't seem anything like Bella at all, either.

Emma reached out a hand and placed it on Bella's face.

My wife sat there, fascinated.

"Edward, she is just wonderful. You must be so proud of her. "

"Of course I am," I agreed.

"And she has your beautiful hair, though not so messy..that's a good thing, right? And those emerald eyes. You don't know how lucky you are, Emma. You could have taken after your Momma and been ordinary."

Emma tried to stand and Bella reached up automatically and caught her.

"Is it okay if I hold her?" she asked.

"Sure, go ahead," I replied.

Emma grabbed Bella's long hair and tried to put it into her mouth so Bella flipped it back over her shoulder out of the way . I was amazed at how much longer her hair had grown in a mere month. It was right down to her waist. Unless she had extensions?

"Oh, Edward, thanks for trying to kill me at lunchtime," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I tried to kill you?"

"Tuna bake. I may not remember who I am, but I do remember that I hate catfood. And tuna is definitely catfood."

I shook my head.

"Bella, you love tuna. You eat it every day."

"No way," she replied, laughing at Emma's attempts to force her fingers into Bella's mouth.

I almost grabbed her hands because Bella cannot stand it when anyone puts anything near her mouth but to my surprise she started pretend-biting the chubby fingers.

"Num num num. Emma tastes delicious. Like chicken."

"And you would know that how? You have never eaten chicken. You said you would never eat anything that spent it's life scratching around in the dirt."

"I said that? Okay. Then tell my stomach to stop craving a roast chicken dinner. It's all I can think about. It's my favourite meal out of everything Mom taught me to cook."

Her eyes opened wider.

"Sorry. There I go again. Is my Mom around, by the way,because it would be really nice to put a face to the voice in my head."

"Um, no. She lives in Phoenix, I believe."

"Really? Isn't that place kind of hot and orange? I must have been to visit her recently because I remember the heat. "

Maybe that's where she and Jake had run to.

"Could I brush Emma's hair, do you think? It's so pretty. I think I'm going to get some red streaks put through my boring brown."

I nodded and stared at this stranger.

What the Hell had that head injury done to her?

Even the guy whose personality had changed still knew his wife and kids, even if he no longer liked them.

Bella didn't even seem to know herself, let alone us.

She pulled her hairbrush gently through Emma's curls and then when Emma reached for the brush, she let the baby attempt to brush her hair in return, and barely cringed as Emma whacked her head with the handle.

"Hey, careful," I warned taking the brush away. "We like Mommy as she is. She doesn't need any more brain damage."

God forbid it would change her back to the old Bella.

I couldn't resist going to the door and calling out to Esme, asking her to get my camera from my office. I didn't want to miss what could be my one chance to get some photos for Emma to look back at in the future if Bella suddenly disappeared again.

Bella happily held the baby but kept blushing when I asked them to face the camera and smile, and especially after I said both of my girls were beautiful as I snapped shot after shot.

Esme stood at the door and raised her eyebrows at me.

I shrugged and took some candid shots while Bella played 'this little piggy' with Emma's toes.

If this was an act, it was well rehearsed.

xxxx

Carlisle came in and stopped in wonder at the sight of Bella on the floor playing with Emma as the baby crawled around the room.

"Edward. As the tests show just that one area of damage and no injuries to arteries, it will just be a wait and see situation. I was thinking maybe it would be a good idea for you to take Bella to the house to see if anything there jogs her memory. Would you like that, Bella?"

"Yay, field trip," Bella answered clapping her hands.

Emma sat up and clapped as well and Bella laughed.

"Isn't she just amazing, Carlisle?" she said joyfully.

"Oh yes, we have always loved her dearly," Dad replied. "Are you having fun with Mommy?"

Emma sat up straighter and looked at Bella.

"Momma? No. No Momma."

Bella's eyes immediately welled with tears.

"Sorry. She just doesn't remember you," I said hurriedly.

"It's fine, Edward. Obviously I've been such a terrible parent that she doesn't even consider me her Mommy. You reap what you sow."

I picked Emma up and Bella said she should get dressed and opened the bag under the bed.

She looked up at me puzzled.

"Really? I wear hoodies? And skinny jeans? Do I own any dresses?"

"Not many. I have offered to buy you as many as you want but the few you have bought you don't like wearing."

She sighed and grabbed jeans and a sweater.

"Hmm, then I do know who I am. Bizzaro World Bella," she quipped as she headed to the bathroom to change.

xxxx

Esme took Emma to her house for a nap to give us some time alone, promising to bring her back in an hour or so.

I didn't know what to expect of Bella anymore so I just opened the front door and let her explore.

She walked around like someone visiting a museum. Not daring to touch anything, she held her hands behind her back.

"So, you are really, really rich then, right?" she said stopping in front of my grand piano and raising her eyebrows at the makers name.

"We are comfortable," I replied. "I can't tell if that impresses or disgusts you."

"Depends. Do you feel a social obligation to help those less fortunate than yourself? Do you donate to any charities?"

Okay.

Annabella I-am-the-only-important-person-on-the-planet Swan Cullen wanted to know if I supported any charities? Since when has she ever thought about anyone but herself, and the obvious other person.

"Actually, yes. Carlisle and I have our own."

"Who do you give money to? Something real that actually helps others or is it set up as a tax break?"

"Well, this is Forks and it's often cold and wet so we really cannot have homeless people. Dad and I supply low or no cost housing to those who need it. I'm not a pushover. You have to be willing to allow our accountant to help you set up a budget, and if you need help with your mortgage payments , rather than wait for the bank to foreclose, we help out. If you lose your home through no fault of your own, we give you somewhere to live.

We did try to extend this offer to people living on the Res but Billy Bl...the Chief wouldn't allow it. And, yes, it is real. Any tax breaks we get just mean we have more funds to use for housing. We administer the charity ourselves so nobody gets paid."

She liked that answer.

"Good. People should always look after their fellow man. You never know when it may be you needing the help, so it's good that you are banking some karma."

Did she seriously say that?

I was struck dumb for a minute or two.

She walked to the wall where my many guitars and other stringed instruments were mounted and smiled.

"Can I take the mandolin down?"

"Sure, " I agreed, mystified. She had always considered musical instruments a complete waste of money.

She held the instrument and sat down on the bottom step of the staircase that led up to the bedrooms and started strumming.

And singing.

I sat there, spellbound.

Her voice was beautiful.

_When the rain came I thought you'd leave_

_'cause I knew how much you loved the sun_

_But you chose to stay, stay and keep me warm_

_through the darkest nights I've ever known_

_If the mandolin wind couldn't change a thing_

_then I know I love you_

_Oh the snow fell without a break_

_Buffalo died in the frozen fields you know_

_Through the coldest winter in almost fourteen years_

_I couldn't believe you kept a smile_

_Now I can rest assured knowing that we've seen the worst_

_And I know I love you_

_Oh I never was good with romantic words_

_so the next few lines come really hard_

_Don't have much but what I've got is yours_

_except of course my steel guitar_

_Ha, 'cause I know you don't play_

_but I'll teach you one day_

_because I love you_

_I recall the night we knelt and prayed_

_Noticing your face was thin and pale_

_I found it hard to hide my tears_

_I felt ashamed I felt I'd let you down_

_No mandolin wind couldn't change a thing_

_Couldn't change a thing no, no_

_The coldest winter in almost fourteen years_

_could never, never change your mind_

_And I love you_

_Yes indeed and I love you_

_And I love you_

_Lordy I love you_

As she finished she suddenly became self conscious and blushed madly, quickly hanging the mandolin back up on it's hook.

"Sorry. You have to make allowances. I have brain damage you know."

"That was beautiful. I had no idea you played." And she had never. ever said she loved me. Not once. It was only a song and she hadn't written the lyrics but just hearing her sing the words had done something to me. I wanted her to say those same words one day, and mean them.

So much for being willing to settle for her loving Emma. I wanted so desperately for her to love me as well.

She grimaced.

"Oh shit. Don't I play? Is it like that guy who hit his head and started talking in German even though he had never learned the language? Am I a freak now?"

She looked so forlorn I walked over and put my arm around her shoulders and she leaned against my side.

"If you are a freak you are a very nice freak. Do you want to look upstairs? You will like our bedroom. You spent weeks ordering the decorators around and you called them back and had them redo the walls because the colour wasn't precisely right."

"I sound like a piece of work. Okay, lead on."

She took a deep breath when she walked into the master suite and walked up to examine the paint closely.

"It's grey."

"No, it's Silver Velvet. You were very insistent on that colour."

"It's grey. If I liked grey so much why didn't I look outside the window?"

"You don't like it?"

She bit her bottom lip, something I had never seen her do before.

"It's grey. The sky is grey. Some colour would have been nice."

She looked around the room and ran her hand across the matching Silver comforter.

"Yay, more grey. I just couldn't get enough of it, could I?"

"Do you want to change it?" I asked.

She stepped back away from me.

"Edward, I'm not going to live here."

"You aren't? Where are you going to live then?"

"I don't know. With Charlie...Dad? In a shelter? How could you possibly consider letting me back into this house after what I did to you? Are you some kind of masochist? Do you get off on pain, and being treated like shit by the woman who vowed to love and honour you all the days of her life, and keep herself only for you, which clearly I did not do. I assume. I can't imagine one would run off with some man unless they were having sex, right?"

"You tell me, Bella."

"I can't, Edward because **I don't fucking remember!"**

She ran from the room and only paused when she reached the baby's nursery.

I followed her inside.

Her mood had changed instantly.

She faced me and smiled her widest smile yet.

"Oh Edward, now this is lovely. Tell me I decorated this room? Please?"

"Yes, you did," I lied with an answering smile. Esme would have to suck it up.

I would tell her that I had changed history and that she had to pretend that Bella had done this.

She moved around the room, exclaiming over every pink frill and she even loved the pastel blue walls.

"I could paint a mural on this wall. Something girlie. A castle and a princess, and a garden."

"That sounds great. Maybe you should come stay with us for a little while then so you can do that."

She looked undecided then grinned.

"Okay. Just until it's finished. Can I buy some paint and brushes? I know what I need. I painted my bedroom walls every year when I was a teenager."

She shrugged and shook her head.

"At least, I think I did. Maybe I just dreamed it. I remember my first attempt. Pink roses draped through a brass bedhead. Then I rammed my bed up against it. To me it looked just like the bedhead was real. I was only about twelve at the time. I even did one of those medallion things in the centre, where they put the family crest or whatever. I just put my initials. Wait...what's my full name?"

"Annabella Kate Swan Cullen."

"Hmm. AKS? That doesn't compute. Whatever. You don't think these memories are coming from a former life, do you? Is that possible?"

"That is something you could discuss with Jasper. Now, would you like a coffee? I have a new coffeemaker. It makes great espresso."

"Great Edward, but what is like with cappuccinos?"

"Why do you care? You only drink black coffee."

She laughed loudly.

"Not any more. Crazy Bella likes milky coffee with sugar! Maybe that was why Da...Charlie was confused."

We decided Bella would stay for dinner and we spent the afternoon in the garden with Emma, after I sent Esme, protesting loudly, home again after she dropped the baby off.

The girls needed more time together.

Bella carried the baby around, showing her the flowers and naming each one. I was way past being surprised.

It appeared my wife had been through a complete personality transplant and I loved the new one so much better than the old.

When it started to get chilly, we took Emma inside and Bella gave her a bath and dressed her for bed, clumsily, but with a lot of laughter from them both. Our daughter decided it was a new game and she kept wriggling about, making it as hard as possible for her Mom to slide her arms into the sleeves.

Bella finally managed and she kissed the emerging fist, and chuckled.

"Where's handie gone? Boo. Here's Emma's little handie."

Emma was enjoying her mother's company for the first time in her life so far and I would do anything to prolong this.

She spoon fed the baby while I sorted out the ingredients for our dinner, then put Emma down on the floor where we could watch her play with her toys, and came to stand beside me.

Without a word she started peeling and chopping as well, and I just grinned to myself. She caught me and grinned back, wiping a tear from her eyes.

"Shit. I don't cook, do I? What the heck did I do all day? Sit around watching the soaps?"

That was even funnier.

Bella would not know what a soapie was.

"You mainly lay about looking decorative," I told her. "You know, brought some colour into this grey house."

"Then I hope I wore a lot of rainbow because all these stupid grey walls suck. Was the Silver thingey paint on sale?"

"Bella, please. Each room has a different shade of silver. Not one is the same."

She rolled her eyes.

"Tell yourself that Edward. It's all grey to me. Umm, if I do come live here for a while, can I paint the walls?"

"More murals?," I checked.

"God no. Just something cheerful. Your furniture is depressing enough. All that cold looking chrome. "

I couldn't help laughing at how she now hated everything she had loved.

Because more than anything in this world I wanted her to love everything she had hated.

xxxx

Sitting down to dinner with my wife was a treat that I had never expected to have again.

Bella didn't seem to need to stop talking to eat, but she ate everything on her plate, pausing now and then to tell me something tasted 'amazing' or 'wonderful'.

She found the walk in pantry and asked me if she could live inside it.

I agreed, of course but told her a bed would be more comfortable to sleep on than the shelving.

And that led to one of the best nights of my life.

Bella had rocked a delighted Emma to sleep and put her into her crib and then we sat on the couch together and watched a movie. I pretended it was indeed her favourite, biting my tongue as we sat through The Notebook, which Alice had actually left here by accident one night when she came to babysit while my brother and Jasper dragged me unwillingly out to a bar.

Bella clearly loved the movie and got excited at all her many 'favourite bits".

I was starting to wonder if her theory about remembering another life wasn't in fact true. How had she, in one short month, watched this video often enough to have favourite bits, learned the names of flowers and plants, read the classics, learned to cook, learned to play the mandolin, and developed a social conscience?

It just didn't add up.

When she fell asleep with her head on my lap halfway through Edward Scissorhands...yes, now she is a Johnny Depp fan...I gently moved her hair away from her ears and checked for any sign of scarring left from plastic surgery, because this Bella was just so different to the other.

What the heck was the explanation?

Did I care?

If she turned out to just be some strange stalker who had paid a lot of money to look like my wife, maybe I should just keep her. At least this one seemed to like me, and she loved Emma already.

I called Carlisle and informed him Bella would be staying the night and I'd bring her back in the morning.

"No point. You are a doctor, Edward. She is as safe with you as she is in the hospital. I don't think anything will happen now. Even if she gets her memory back, it may be a gradual process and take months. We wouldn't keep her in hospital that long so maybe you could just do night shifts and stay with her days and Esme can keep Emma at our house at night.

We need the bed for someone who needs ongoing inpatient treatment.

Bring her in three times a week to talk to Jasper, and we will play it by ear."

He paused.

"I truly hope she has changed for the better however, we can't just forget everything she has done and trust her too readily. What if this is some act to get her hands on Emma?"

I hoped not.

I wanted things to start afresh, and I wanted Bella to never think of Jacob Black ever again.

I carried her upstairs and slipped her shoes off and undid her bra clip, then slid her into our bed.

Not wanting to freak her out if she woke up, I grabbed a blanket for myself and lay beside her, above the covers, and watched her sleep until my own eyes finally flickered shut.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for not answering reviews and no, I don't have an update schedule but I do**

**1) work full time**

**2) have a husband and kids**

**3) have prep to do before I start Uni (college)**

**4) have a dog to walk and **

**5) have to pack because we are moving to the city in less than 4 weeks.**

**So, yeah. My writing schedule is basically when I'm not doing any of the above.**

**Cheers.**

The Other Twin

Chapter 4

EPOV

Waking up was daunting because I wasn't sure if I had just dreamed that yesterday happened.

I opened my eyes reluctantly, and there she was.

Laying on the pillow beside mine, her brown eyes open, gazing at me.

I didn't speak for a moment.

Bella smiled.

I smiled back.

"So, how did you sleep?" I finally asked her, breaking the spell.

I'd spent a lot of time thinking during the night.

There was no way I could just obliterate the past unless I truly forgave her completely and we started again with clean slates.

That meant trusting Bella to a certain extent but not putting Emma at risk.

Getting the family onboard would be the hardest part.

"Fine. Your bed is very comfortable. How about you?"

I shrugged.

"I slept some, on and off. I had a lot of thinking to do."

"Do you want me to leave? I mean, that would be only fair. I know it's too much to ask for you to give me another chance. I'm sure you have given me a lot of second chances already because you seem like a good person who would do that. But everyone has their breaking point."

"I will let you know if I reach mine," I promised. "Bella, I think it's best if we speak plainly about what we want. You go first."

"I guess I want a chance to prove to you that I'm not all bad and I am sorry for being such a terrible wife and mother. Of course, I have no idea the extent of what I put you through.

Did I pretend to love you? Was I that heartless?"

"No, you were always very open about your feelings. You needed me but you warned me many times that you were not good for me and I should just send you away.

You told me a dozen times you did not think you would ever have anything more than the smaller side of your heart available for me, if that. I knew you loved Jacob though when we first got together, it did appear you two had broken up for the last time.

We were friends. For me that was enough to build on. I hoped."

"So, if you knew I didn't love you , why did you marry me?"

"I wanted us to be together and to create a family for Emma."

"So, you married me because I was pregnant?"

"More or less. But because I loved you, I guess I kind of forced things that were never meant to be forced. I thought I could change you. I thought all you needed was a good man who openly devoted himself to you, instead of the fire and ice relationship you had before. I'm as responsible as you are for the whole mess. My eyes were wide open, and I pushed ahead anyway."

"Okay. But I did run off again with this Jake person again , so I did break my wedding vows to you. Isn't that unforgivable? For me to stand there in front of your family and friends, and promise to love you and remain faithful to you forever, then to cheat? I don't know how forgiving I would be if the situation were reversed."

"It wasn't that kind of wedding. There were no promises of love and fidelity. It was more a legal ceremony. We were married in a registry office with just Alice and Jasper as witnesses."

"So, no family?"

"Charlie and his wife Sue were away on their honeymoon. My parents were...busy."

"Your parents refused to come."

"Mmm."

"They didn't want you to marry me because they knew I wasn't worthy of you."

"Let's just say they didn't think it was a good idea and they were worried you would hurt me."

"Which I did, so they were completely justified to feel that way. I'm surprised your father even agreed to treat me after the accident."

"Carlisle is a doctor first. Anyone who comes through that door at the ER is a patient, no matter how he may feel about them personally."

"Can you tell me a few things about yourself? I don't know much."

"Well, I have an older brother and my parents also fostered a young girl, Alice. She grew up and married my friend Jasper, your therapist, so they are family too. You and Alice have been friends for a long time.

Sometimes you fall out because she loses patience with you, but deep down, she knows you have had a lot of issues to deal with, and, as she always says, you don't choose who you fall in love with.

You happened to fall in love with Jake, a guy who was not good for you, just as I fell in love with you. Neither of us have been very happy. He hurts you a lot, emotionally."

"And I do the same to you?" she guessed.

"You have, in the past."

"And you have always taken me back?"

"Bella, I have always loved you, flaws and all. There are many things I wish never happened but we either live with them and let go, or we stay far away from one another, and I don't want that.

I don't want to be some heartbroken martyr . I want a life with you as my wife if at all possible, and I want Emma to grow up with her mother."

"Did you ever cheat on me?" she asked, almost hopefully I thought.

"No. I have never slept with anyone else, actually. I knew I wanted you the first time I saw you at High School years ago, and though I dated a bit, there was never anyone I wanted to make love to, so I didn't."

"Rats. It might be easier if you had cheated and we were starting off on an even playing field. I should have known you aren't the type. I'm sure if you had anyone else to replace me you would have done that by now. I guess if you want to bet on a loser, I can't stop you."

"You are not a loser. You haven't had the perfect life yourself. A lot of your issues stem from the fact that your mother gave you to Charlie when you were a newborn, and never had any contact with you again. You confided in me once about how that made you feel unlovable. If your own mother didn't love you or care if you lived or died then you felt you must be worthless."

"Really? I thought I knew her. Because I hear her in my head. So, I've invented myself a mother."

"A lot of kids do that when one parent is absent from their life," I told her.

"So, I have Mother Issues and I'm a cheater who loves someone I don't even remember, and you are my knight in shining armour, always there trying to forgive me."

"I want what's best for everyone and from my point of view, that means we live together here in this house, and parent our child. You will have to commit to doing the same, and mean it.

Back then I was willing to overlook a lot of things I shouldn't have, but then it was only me that got hurt. Now there is Emma, and the rules have changed.

I don't expect you to suddenly fall in love with me, but that's okay. That's entirely a separate matter. Until you remember Jacob then you won't know if you still love him. I am willing to wait, and if you don't ever recall how you felt for him, then we could try again if you want to."

"Really?" she said, sitting up. "I am having trouble getting my head around this. You are like some character in an old novel. Always forgiving, always hoping the stupid heroine will wake up to herself and choose the right man."

"Bella, I may not be the right man for you. I may be the wrong choice but all I ask is that you stay here and be with Emma, and me, and allow yourself this chance to get to know us, without him breathing down your neck, trying to pull you away from us again.

I hope Jacob never comes back.

I hope he's gone for good, but realistically one day he will return and I guess it depends how you feel about us, and about him, by then, that will dictate what happens next.

All I ask is that you try and keep some space in your life for Emma.

If you desert me again, and cut me out of your life, well, that won't be anything new. I have been there before. But Emma is your daughter, and she deserves the love and attention of both of us. Forever."

"I want that too. I want her to know that I am her Mommy. She's such an amazing child. She should have been twins! How gorgeous would that have been?

I wonder if I'd had a sister or brother to grow up with and share the same experiences, if it would have been easier. Maybe I wouldn't have turned into such a monster."

"Well, I won't argue that you were pretty bad but I have hope that you are a changed person now. I do not believe you are faking this, if only because you never cared enough to fake anything. You were always a 'take me as I am or fuck off' kind of girl.

The fact I accepted you as you were tells you how much I have always loved you. No matter what you did, that has never changed.

I am not willing to go back to those bad days but who knows, maybe there are some good days ahead for us.

I won't be your doormat, Bella, but I will be your friend."

"Thank you. I'm sure that's more than I deserve. Shouldn't I sleep in one of the other bedrooms, though? Or is sex part of the deal for you to let me stay?"

"Don't be ridiculous. As if I would force you to sleep with me."

"Well, it would hardly be rape, Edward. We have been sexually active before. We do have proof of that. I imagine we had a pretty active sex life whenever we were together.

You are a young healthy man. Are you waiting for my permission to get it elsewhere, with my blessing? It wouldn't be cheating if I sanctioned it."

I bristled.

"If I want to be with someone else I will divorce you and make a clean break. I do not believe in cheating. I expect the same courtesy from you as well, this time. If you want to run back to Jake at some point, or anyone else, you have to tell me first, okay?"

"No problem."

The impatient cry from the nursery alerted us to the fact Emma was awake and sick of waiting for attention.

"I'll get her," Bella offered, smiling in anticipation as she jumped up out of bed. Then she stopped.

"Oh. I guess she probably would prefer you to do that. She barely knows me."

I couldn't help but wish that Bella had cared about Emma this much right from when our baby girl took her first breath.

How happy would I have been if she wanted to see her daughter this eagerly back then?

"Come with me. She needs to get used to seeing us both together. May as well start today."

Emma had pulled herself up to standing and was holding onto the side of the crib, peering out her door.

She grinned at me then her eyes flicked to Bella.

"Dadda," she chortled as usual.

"Dadda and Momma," I corrected her as I scooped her up.

She looked at Bella's smiling face and shook her head.

"No Momma."

"Maybe she could call me just Bella?" my wife suggested.

It was a little disappointing. Emma happily let Bella change her diaper and carry her down to the kitchen and she even wanted her mother to feed her breakfast, but it seemed she was going to be quite stubborn about calling her Momma.

I encouraged her to, but she creased up her forehead and refused.

"No Momma."

She sounded both defiant and angry at me for trying to make her call Bella this name.

"Edward, just relax. Maybe one day I will earn her trust and she will think me worthy of the title. Until then, I'm just Bella. Dadda's undeserving friend. Isn't that right, Baby?"

xxxx

Bella's second appointment with Jasper was booked for eleven o'clock so we spent the morning playing with the baby in the garden again, and then Esme came to sit with her while she napped, and we headed to the hospital.

When we walked inside, Charlie was there talking to Carlisle.

"Hey Dad, Charlie. What's up?" I asked.

"Ah, Bella. Jasper's running a bit early, so if you want to go straight in," Carlisle interjected.

After she left Dad led us both into his office.

"Charlie has some news. About Jacob."

I stiffened.

"He's back? Already? Damn. I really wanted some time with Bella before that happened."

Just my luck.

"Actually, Jake is in Seattle General. He was involved in an accident. He fell from a cliff and is barely alive. Despite that, they think he will be okay in time."

I couldn't believe this. Just when I had started to feel hopeful about us, back he came again.

"You are here to tell Bella, I presume," I said to Charlie.

Dad answered.

"We have been discussing this, and we ran it past Jasper. None of us think there is any advantage in telling her anything.

She says she doesn't remember him, so why would she care?

Jake will be kept in a coma for several months. How about we play it by ear and see what happens? If Bella ever remembers him in the meantime we can talk about it then, and work out what's best. Do we all agree?"

I wasn't sure, but then he did have a point.

If Bella had genuinely forgotten him, why push my luck? Seeing him might trigger her memory. What the eyes don't see the heart doesn't grieve over.

He could be out of the picture, like I wanted, for months. Emma deserved a chance to be with her Mom.

If she was pulling a scam, did she even deserve to know this news?

Anyway, if he was in a coma, having Bella run to Seattle to sit by his bed wouldn't help anyone. Not even him. He wouldn't know she was there. What would I want her to do if the situation were reversed?

I would think about it.

Emma's needs trumped Bella's rights for now. I agreed to go along with their plan. For now.

xxxx

BPOV

Charlie, Dad, had stayed around so we all went for coffee, and Edward asked us both how we wanted to proceed to get to know one another again. I was a little overwhelmed and Charlie saw that and suggested maybe Edward and I could go to dinner at his place, and meet Sue, his wife, later this week. If that turned out okay, maybe it could be a weekly thing.

That sounded like something I could handle.

Now I was no longer an inpatient, I detected Carlisle had become a little cool towards me.

I didn't blame him, the more I heard about my earlier behaviour, the less I liked what I had been.

He kept looking at me over his coffee cup, clearly trying to determine if I was faking. Waiting for me to make a wrong move and expose the lie.

I hoped for Edward's sake that he would give me a chance to right old wrongs or at least to show him and Esme that I would never hurt their son and granddaughter again.

It was going to be difficult all around, for everyone, seeing Edward wanted to keep me.

I had no idea how hard until we got home and there was a strange car in the driveway. Okay, all cars were strange to me, but I knew by Edward's sigh that this car belonged to someone who wasn't in my fanclub.

Who?" I asked as he pulled up.

"Emmett and Rosalie. My brother and his 'delightful' wife. Just ignore Rosalie, I do."

We went inside and I gasped as this enormous muscular mountain of a man stood up as we entered. He had a mop of jet black curls but his sparkling blue eyes were the same as Carlisle's.

"Bro. Bella," he said, nodding.

The woman beside him looked very formidable.

She was taller than me, wayyy better looking than I am, and she didn't like me at all. Just as I had felt Jasper's calm, I could feel her hate and wrath rolling off her.

She was standing with her arms crossed, and a not so welcoming look on her face.

"Bella. Back to turn the knife again?"

"Shut up, Rose. Bella and I are hoping to rule a line in the sand and forget the past, and start over."

"I'm sure she wants that," Rose snarled. "As usual, you will run around after her and clean up her messes. And treat her far better than she deserves."

"Well then that's my lookout, isn't it?" Edward replied.

I decided I needed to step up.

"I am sincerely sorry for everything I have put Edward through. I don't remember any of it but I have heard enough to know I treated him horrendously. I have no intention of defending what I did, because it's pretty hard to come up with excuses when you don't recall exactly what you have done.

I'm glad you were there for him, and I understand that it will be a very long time before anyone trusts me, and I guess none of you will ever like me, but please don't make things worse for Edward. He still needs you all, and I will try and stay out of your way."

"Good," Rosalie growled, tapping her foot on the floor.

No chance of a girls only shopping trip with her, then.

Emmett was a different kettle of fish.

He looked from me to Edward and waited for his brother's reaction.

"I would really appreciate it if in the circumstances, you cut Bella some slack. She only cheated on me, you need to remember that. She didn't do anything to you. She wants to make amends and I want to let her and it would be so much easier if you guys just forgot everything and pretended you were meeting her for the first time, because that is what it's like for her."

"Cool," Emmett replied, holding out one enormous hand. "Hi Bella. I'm Edward's older brother and although I think what you have done is unforgivable, he doesn't. That's good enough for me. You play nice, I will play nice back. I can't speak for my wife but I'm pretty sure she will speak for herself, so, hey, good luck with that."

Rosalie stalked towards me like a predator approaching her prey.

I flinched.

"Bella. I may have to tolerate your company now and then but I will never like you. Ever. You are right about that. Emmett may think you can just start over but I remember every horrid thing you did and said to my brother-in-law and that sweet adorable child that you do not deserve and believe me, you step out of line again and I will kill you. There's a lot of forest out there, they will never find your body. That's all I have to say."

Esme walked out at that moment with the baby and Emma looked around the room then held her arms out to me.

I wasn't sure what to do as obviously Rose was already angry enough and if I took Emma...

Rosalie fumed.

"Don't let her near that child. She does not deserve to breathe the same air that angel breathes."

Edward stepped between us and nodded for his Mom to give me the baby.

I didn't argue but only because I didn't want to cause more trouble.

Emma jigged up and down in my arms and reached for my hair to pull as she chatted nonsense words happily.

"She's Bella's baby, Rose. Bella's and mine. Not yours. I appreciate the help you have given us over the last year but from now on, Bella will be the mother Emma needs and you need to back off."

Poor Esme looked like she wished the floor would open and swallow her.

Then the sound of a dog barking echoed in the awkward silence.

"Dog dog," Emma said, turning her head towards the front door.

Edward took her from me and handed her to his Mom again and took my hand.

"Come and meet another member of the family."

Emmett beat us outside and opened the back of his jeep and a golden head appeared.

"I doped her up so she wouldn't get carsick. She's all done now, Bro. I took her stitches out last night and she is good to go. No unwanted litters from stray Romeos."

Out jumped the beautiful golden retriever from my dreams and I was so happy to finally see a face I recognised. I dropped to my knees and the dog ran straight into my arms and licked my face enthusiastically.

"Anna!" I cried out in joy. "I'm so glad you are alive! I thought... Oh I'm so happy to see you again."

Then I realised nobody else was making a single sound. I looked back.

"Pfft! Anna!" Rose snorted. "Actually, although you may think you are the only important person in the world, Edward did not actually name his dog after you. She is not called Anna."

Confused I looked at Edward.

He took my elbow and helped me stand.

"Bella, this is Amber. She is new to the family since you left. I adopted her from a kill shelter. Emmett's a vet; he does the desexing of any pets that are rehomed. I'm glad you like her."

Amber?

Could I have just gotten the names mixed up? It was kind of close to Anna.

But I'd heard my Mom say her name so clearly.

Oh wait. I don't even know my Mom, do I?

I felt panic rising in my gut and started shaking uncontrollably then just as I thought I might spontaneously combust, a wave of calm filled the air.

Jasper. Jasper had arrived.

I didn't see him but I felt him.

My limbs relaxed and my eyes fluttered shut and I felt myself falling, until Edward caught me in his arms as I passed out.

xxxx

This was becoming a habit.

I opened my eyes and started in surprise at the little brown haired pixie faced girl sitting beside the bed, holding my hand.

"Hi Bella. I know you don't remember me. I'm Alice, your best friend."

My only friend, I would wager.

She actually sounded happy to see me, which was a nice change.

"Hello, Alice. Yeah, sorry, but then I forgot my own husband and daughter so I guess I can't be surprised that I forgot my friend as well. Sorry."

She looked surprised.

Okay.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Alice replied, looking away.

"Tell me, please," I pressed.

"Well, it's just that I have never heard you say 'sorry' before and you said it twice. It was kind of strange to hear."

She smiled.

"Look Jasper told me you are really different now, and nice, so I hope that's true. It's been kind of hard being your friend these last few years, especially with me being Edward's sister. But you were always nice to me, Bella. And you were lovely when you were with Jake. They never saw how you were with him. Well, you were lovely when the two of you weren't fighting, but I just wanted to tell you, you aren't all bad.

You have always been there for me.

I know you will do much better now you are with Edward again. I can feel it, here, in my heart. He loves you so very much, you know."

"I can't work out why, Alice. Why would he do that? If I were him, I'd have tossed me to Emmett and gotten him to break my neck and throw me in the river."

"Oh, Emmett would never do that."

"No? He's scary big. But I guess if he is Edward's brother then he must be a nice person."

"Oh he is, but that's not why he wouldn't break your neck."

She giggled.

"Rose called dibs on that a long time ago."

xxxx

I was glad of the opportunity to talk to someone other than Edward and hoped we would be left alone for a while.

"Your brother seems to be pretty amazing. I can't believe what a bitch I was to him. Can you give me any insight?"

"Bella, you were in love. They do say all is fair in love and war, but I won't lie. You could be quite despicable to Edward, but then, on the other hand, he kept coming back for more.

If Jake had just followed through, who knows... He was always kicking you out and telling you to never return then he'd contact you or you would go find him...then the cycle would repeat again. I mean it was a bad relationship.

Very toxic.

Emmett used to say you'd kill one another and the problem would solve itself."

"No wonder Rose hates me. I don't blame her."

"Rose has a lot of issues with you but she doesn't really care that much about how you treated Edward. She warned him to kick you to the curb and move on and when he ignored her advice, she said as he was a fully grown, seemingly intelligent man seeing he is a doctor, then fine. Let you keep coming back and ruining his life.

But when Emma was born...

She turned into a tigress.

She thinks she can't have kids herself, Bella, so when you left last time and you didn't take the baby, that was the last straw.

I mean, nobody wanted you to take Emma away from her father but Rose fully expected you to, and in a way you let her down by doing the right thing and leaving her here."

"Did I leave her behind because I knew Edward was the better parent or because I didn't want to take her?"

Alice shrugged. I got the feeling she was being kind.

"Who knows? Maybe you were being cruel to be kind because you knew Emma was his sun and his stars. Anyway, let's look forward, not back.

I know that this time things will be better."

"How could you know that?"

"I have dreams, Bella. Don't you? In my dreams I see things and I know one day in the future you and Edward will be happy together, and you will even have...

well, baby steps. One step at a time."

"And do your dreams always come true?"

She nodded happily.

"Always."

"Then why hasn't it happened earlier? That would have been good. It would have been so much better if I had finally gotten over this Jake idiot before Emma was born, then maybe Edward and I would already be the happy couple you dreamt."

"Everything happens in it's own time, Bella. And this is the right time. I'm so excited. You've kept us waiting but the better part, the good part of you that I always knew was in you, has taken control now and things will be great. I used to dream of you as two separate people , you know, like Angel Bella and Demon Bella, and well, the bad one has had it's day and now I only dream of the good one. Okay?"

Her eyes didn't quite believe what she was saying.

"Tell me the rest. Please Alice."

She put her head on the side.

"Well, okay. Maybe you should know. The Demon Bella will try and come back one day so you have to be strong, Bella. You have to keep her away, because she wants to ruin everything and that can't happen."

She choked a little and wiped her eyes.

"Surely if you are forewarned you will be strong enough to keep her away. It's like she is sleeping at present, so this is the time to start fixing things and building bridges and making up for the destruction she caused and then, if she does come back, everyone will know for sure that you are the good and worthy person Edward sees, and we will all be here to help you. Think of us as your sponsors, like in AA.

Except instead of helping you stop drinking, we will be here to help you stay good. Okay? We can do this."

"I truly hope I can stay good," I laughed humourlessly. "Angelic might be a stretch. Mom always said I had the Devil in me when I was a child. I was forever coming home with my dress torn and covered in thick red mud because my friends were mainly boys, and we never let the fact we lived in the dry desert stand in the way of a good water fight.

Thats what buckets and hosepipes are for, right?"

Alice looked confused.

"You grew up right here, Bella. There's no red dirt. Though you always did enjoy a good snow fight. You made the deadliest snowballs. I remember once you and I made this really big ball of snow and waited behind the library at school, because Jas always walked that way and you heard him coming and jumped out and threw it at him.

Only it wasn't Jasper.

It was Rose.

We both ran away and laughed ourselves silly, because Rose has always been so..you know... I mean, she is a nice person and a great friend but let's face it, she has anger management issues.

I think she would have skinned us alive that day if she had caught us."

"I played in snow?" I said, shuddering. "I can't imagine that. It must be so cold and wet."

"Bella, you crazy person, you love it. You were always the one who got all excited when the first flakes fell, when we were kids."

"We have been friends that long? Was I a horrible kid?"

"No," she said sadly. "You were lovely. Right up until puberty when you found out..you know."

"What? That my Mother hated me?"

"I'm sure she didn't hate you, Bella. She must have had her own reasons for staying completely out of your life. But yes, it did change you. I think we all assumed she was dead and then Rose told you her Mom knew who your mother was, and that she'd gone away to hide her pregnancy and then she gave you to Charlie because she couldn't be bothered being a mother."

"Rose's Mom knew my Mom and Rose told me? What, didn't I even know Renee's name?"

"I guess not. Maybe Charlie thought the less you knew the better. He wanted you. He was so happy being your Dad. He almost broke up with Sue because you just didn't like her at all, but I guess Billy convinced him that as you were an adult and Charlie had been alone all those years while he raised you, that it was his turn for some happiness.

Billy has always been convinced you would never settle down and be happy unless you and Jake sorted out your shit and grew up.

He told Charlie you and Edward would always be doomed but we know that isn't true.

Jake was the problem.

If he hadn't existed, your life would have been so much better. You and Edward would have been friends, and then sweethearts and he would have known how to help you cope with your insecurities, and abandonment issues, not use them against you as a weapon like Jacob did.

Every time you didn't comply with his wishes he pulled out the 'well then, I'll just leave you' card and you'd be so confused and so needy.

He created you, Bella.

He took a good kid and changed her.

I will always hate him for that."

"Hummpt. You can't blame everything on that dog," Rose snarled from the doorway.

She tossed a cold compress at me and stood in the corner of the room, keeping her distance.

"Bella could have told him to fuck off right from the start. Just because Charlie and Billy always wanted you two to marry one day from when you were toddlers did not mean you had to comply. It was obvious you were so bad together from the very start. Anyway, Edward sent me in here to apologise so let's pretend I did that, You know I never will.

Oh, look at the time.

We've been here a whole hour and you haven't run off with Jacob Black. That must be a record."

"Stop it, Rose. Bella has no interest in Jacob any more, right, Bella?"

I shrugged.

"I am looking at this time as a chance to move on, seeing I have no memories of him. It's better that I concentrate on Edward and Emma while I can, seeing everyone tells me all I can think about is Jake when he is around.

God, he must be beautiful. He must be like an Adonis. Let me guess. Really tall and slim, maybe blonde? Or has he got awesome hair like Edward's? Blue eyes or green? I'd say green, seeing we already have blue represented so well with Carlisle and Jasper and Emmett. Statistically he must have green eyes, right?

Sharp jawline of course.

Long slim pale fingers?"

I laughed. This was crazy. I was madly trying to picture him in my brain but the figure kept turning into Edward; sometimes with blonde hair and blue eyes, then it would morph back to how he really was. Perfect.

Rosalie startled me by laughing out loud. Proper laughing. Right from the gut. It just didn't fit her looks or what I had seen of her personality.

"Oh Bella, stop overplaying your hand. I can see what you are doing. You are describing the dog in the most opposite way just to convince everyone you have forgotten him.

You know he is a dirty.."

"Rose! Don't."

Emmett stood at the door. He looked really angry and his eyes almost looked red.

"Do not let Bella see what a racist bitch you can be. This is a new chance to start over for all of us, so let's pretend you accept everyone of any race equally. That would be refreshing."

Rose coloured, and pushed past Emmett to leave the room.

"Sorry Bella. I know you were a bitch back in the day but Rose pretty much gave you a run for your money. Just not with the infidelity bit, and the whole running out on your kid part.

Rosie would stay and protect her child with her life if she ever had one."

Alice took Emmett's hand.

"She will have a baby one day. I told you that. I saw it in my dreams."

"Yeah? Well then you know more than the fertility specialists we are paying a fortune to help us, Alice."

"There's no need for intervention. Your little angel will come when he is good and ready and nothing you do to hurry that along will make any difference. There are a finite amount of souls available, Emmett, no matter what people think, and babies these days have to wait and take their turn."

"Sure Alice. When you produce the triplets you dreamt you and Jas would have, that's when I will start listening to you. Don't take too much notice of what Alice 'predicts' Bella. She's batshit crazy when it comes to all her fortune telling."

"Actually I like what she predicted for me. She says Edward and I are going to be happy together."

Emmett stared at me intently.

"That would be entirely up to you, not Alice. You know he loves you and wants to have the perfect family. After all you have done to him, you owe him that. Just do the decent thing this time and you can't go too far wrong.

I meant what I said, but let me clarify.

You play nice with my brother and I will do everything I can to make the rest of the family, including Rose, give you a fair trial. Okay?"

"Thanks Emmett," I replied.

Maybe he was coming round to be on my side as well. Lets face it, I could do with some friends.

xxxx

Alice stayed when Emmett followed his wife out.

"He means it. If you are nice to Edward, then Emmett will be your best PR man.

Bella, you will hear what I am about to tell you some time, so it may as well be now.

I guess Edward has told you I'm not his actual sister? I came from a very abusive family and had a horrendous childhood."

"Oh no, I'm so sorry," I replied. There was always someone worse off than yourself. And to make it more unfair, what had happened to Alice had not been her fault.

"Yes well, anyway, you don't need to hear the details and I don't need to relive them. Eventually I was removed from my parents care and placed with Esme and Carlisle, who are about as polar opposite as can be to my own parents.

And I had instant brothers, so that was cool.

I loved living with them but in the back of my mind I always suspected it was too good to be true so I was always on alert, waiting to be sent back to where I came from.

I didn't make many friends at school, and the boys went to a private school in Port Angeles, so you were very important to me,Bella, because even when I got...sick, you remained my friend, not like the others.

Jessica and Lauren said I should be shut away in a 'loony bin' and were really detestable to me, but you stood up for me, every time.

When the two of them decided to beat you up for it, well, you were wonderful. They were both much larger girls than we were, but you fought them both like a banshee and I have never forgotten that."

"I won a fight against two bigger girls? Wow. Impressive."

"I didn't say you won, Bella. They beat the crap out of you, but that made me love you all the more. You knew there was no chance you could win, but you still fought for me.

That's why I have always fought for you."

"Did they leave you alone after that, at least?"

"Well, that's when my brothers demanded that Dad let them come to Forks High with us, and so, yeah. Once everyone saw the size of Emmett, it was pretty much different from that point on.

Edward fell in love with you that very first day.

I remember he asked me a million questions about you, and that night I dreamed the dream where you and him were a happy couple with kids and a house, this house here in fact, so I do know everything will work out just fine."

"Thanks Alice. That makes me feel more hopeful. Why didn't Edward ask me out?"

"Well, he wanted to but Jake..."

"Oh. What a pity."

Damn, if only I'd gone out with Edward and not Jake, how different everything would be today.

Jasper came in to check on me.

"Why did I pass out? Do you know if there's more to this injury than they are telling me?" I asked.

"Your brain is damaged, and therefore when things get too stressful, it just bails, and shuts down for a while. It will happen less often as it heals but for now, just avoid situations you can't handle and gradually it will learn other ways to cope. Okay? Now, you should sleep."

"I'm fine, I don't feel like..." I yawned.

"Jasper, not fair."

Alice giggled.

The wooly blanket descended and covered me from head to foot and I curled up and let it take me away to dreamland.


	5. Chapter 5

**All these reviews make me feel obligated to keep updating. Cheers.**

**Danny Whitten wrote the first, Tim Hardin the second, but Rod sang them. **

The Other Twin

Chapter 5

I/BPOV

_I can tell by your eyes_

_That you've probably been cryin' forever_

_And the stars in the sky don't mean nothin' to you_

_They're a mirror_

_I don't wanna talk about it, how you broke my heart_

_If I stay here just a little bit longer_

_If I stay here, won't you listen to my heart_

_Oh my heart?_

By the time I left my room, everyone had gone. Edward was sitting on the back stoop, playing one of his many guitars and singing softly.

He looked up as I approached and lay the guitar down on the floor.

"Alice said you fell asleep so I left you alone. Emma's bathed and fed and tucked up in her crib for the night."

"I'm sorry I missed that," I replied. I sniffed the air. Something smelled amazing.

"A roast chicken dinner. I thought you might still be craving for it," Edward informed with a small smile.

"Are you okay? You sounded a little sad," I asked.

"Bella, like the song said, I don't want to talk about it. I should know better than to wallow.

Come and talk to me and distract me.

Sometimes things just haunt me, and play over and over in my head. Not all of us are lucky enough to get our brains formatted."

"I wish you could, too. And poor Alice. I bet she envies anyone who forgets their childhood."

"It must be nice in a way to truly start afresh. Or it would be if all these people didn't want to fill in all the blanks for you.

It probably would have been good if you'd run away again after the injury and never found out anything about yourself. Just think, you'd be starting a new life somewhere else as a whole new person, and nobody would know you and be able to tarnish your self image."

"But then I wouldn't have met you and Emma. I'd rather cope with whatever everyone else has to say about me if that's the price I have to pay to be with you two."

"You will stay?"

"Yes. I might be wrong; and maybe I will do more harm than good in the long run but I hope not. I really do want to make things up to you, and to the baby. And you want me here so I just hope I never cause you any more grief."

The yellow dog, Amber, looked up at me and wagged her tail.

"Would you still want to stay if I told you I know where Jacob Black is?" Edward asked.

I felt his eyes scrutinising my face.

"Jacob truly is nothing to me now. I can't even say he is just some guy I used to know. He's just...nothing. It's like asking me if I want to go visit the Pope. I know he exists but nothing about him interests me so why bother?"

Edward stood up and put his hands on my shoulders so I had to keep facing him.

"Jake got hurt and he is in hospital in Seattle. They think he will survive but doctors are wrong about things like that all the time. This might be your only chance to say Goodbye. Do you want to go to him? Tell me, don't just disappear."

"I don't want to go. I don't **know **him any more so I don't care about him. I mean, I hope he will be okay. I suppose he has a Mom and Dad that care for him so for their sakes I hope he gets better but please, Edward, if he ever comes here, please send him away.

I'm scared to meet him.

I know he has some sort of hold on me, some sort of power that makes me act insane so please never tell me anything about him again. I want to be happy. I want to have a normal life. Is that too much to ask?"

He rested his forehead against mine.

"No, Bella. It's what I want too."

He took one hand away and rubbed my arm, and I felt my breathing hitch. His touch was strange. Almost tingly. Nobody else felt like that against my skin.

Edward walked away and started serving dinner, so I poured drinks for us both and sat down at the table.

"I wish I'd woken up in time to see Emma have her bath. How come she doesn't have a rubber ducky? I thought all babies liked rubber ducks."

Edward grinned.

"I guess nobody thought to buy her one."

"Really? I bought all those dolls and blocks and teddy bears and no rubber ducky. Boy, I really was a bad mother."

"You could buy her one tomorrow. I thought we might take a drive to Port Angeles. It's not really fancy but it will all be new to you, so you might enjoy it."

"Can I buy some dresses? I hate all these jeans. I looked in my closet, which incidentally, is bigger than my childhood bedroom, and all there is inside is denim and T shirts.

Don't I ever want to try and look pretty?"

"You are more than pretty, Bella. You are beautiful."

I knew my face was bright red so I kept my eyes down at my plate and kept eating.

If he was for real then he saw someone else entirely to the person who looked back at me when I looked in the mirror. He didn't see me clearly. And anyway, wasn't real beauty a reflection of your soul?

He was beautiful inside and out, and so was Emma, but obviously my plain exterior hid a true monster.

Like Alice said, I had to fight and keep that monster dormant.

I couldn't feel it anywhere inside me but I knew now that it was there, lurking, waiting for it's chance.

"Is your dinner okay?" Edward asked.

"Wonderful. Thank you for doing this."

"I have always wanted to do whatever made you happy, Bella. That won't change.

Now, what girlie movie dvd are you making me suffer through tonight?"

"I was hoping you might play your guitar and sing to me."

I stood up and cleared the table and he walked over and retrieved his guitar and held out a hand towards me.

"Okay. Where do you want us to sit?"

"It's a nice evening. How about out on the balcony off the bedroom. It won't disturb Emma will it?" I checked.

"No. I've been singing to her since she was born. She sleeps right through it."

Amber followed us up and slumped down between us.

I stroked her soft yellow fur and gazed out at the forest .

It still seemed so weird to look at. Like I wasn't used to all this green, and all these trees so close together. Maybe Charlie's house where I grew up was in some other part of town where there was some open space around it.

It felt quite cosy and safe having all this flora so close but it still felt foreign.

"What do you want me to play?" Edward asked.

I laughed.

"Here's the thing. I don't know what songs you know. So surprise me."

"Okay. Then there is a song I'd like you to hear."

He started strumming .

I sat transfixed by his face. It was as if he was allowing me inside his soul.

_If I listened long enough to you_

_I'd find a way to believe that it's all true_

_Knowing that you lied straight-faced while I cried_

_Still I look to find a reason to believe_

_Someone like you makes it hard to live without_

_Somebody else_

_Someone like you makes it easy to give_

_Never think about myself_

_If I gave you time to change my mind_

_I'd find a way just to leave the past behind_

_Knowing that you lied straight-faced while I cried_

_Still I look to find a reason to believe_

_Someone like you makes it hard to live without_

_Somebody else_

_Someone like you makes it easy to give_

_Never think about myself_

_Someone like you makes it hard to live without_

_Somebody else_

_Like you._

"I truly do believe that, Bella. I think we have a good chance to make it now."

xxxx

I wasn't tired after sleeping during the day so , as Edward had a night shift at the hospital, I asked him if it would be okay to rifle through drawers and cupboards and just see what was where.

He agreed readily, so I started my treasure hunt while he showered and changed.

I seemed to favour natural fibres. My knickers were all made from bamboo fabric or cotton. Nice and comfy and sensible.

Then I found a stash of other panties and pulled them out and spread them out on the bed.

It never occurred to me that this stash was anything but sexy stuff I had worn for Edward so when he walked into the bedroom I twirled a pair of the briefest black scraps of lace on my finger and winked cheekily at him.

I didn't get the reaction I'd wanted. I thought he might laugh and say yes, I had been a naughty girl who needed a spanking, but instead he looked horrified.

"Oh God, what's wrong? What have I done?"" I cried out.

He let out an almost inhuman howl.

He strode across the room and grabbed the thong from my hand roughly then scooped up the others from the bed and tried to tear them to pieces, angrier than I had ever seen him.

Then it hit me.

God, why was I so stupid?

Obviously the way these had been hidden away at the very back of the very bottom drawer, they had been concealed for a reason.

Emma was too small and immobile to be the reason so it had to be because I had hidden them from my husband.

Because they were not worn for him.

I hurriedly left the room, angry tears streaming down my face.

Was this how it would be from now on?

Living in a minefield, never knowing what would blow up in my face and kill my husband a little at a time?

He came downstairs and stuffed the wrecked mass of lace and silk in the bin.

I knew by the look he gave me that he didn't want either of us to say anything.

It was all too blatantly obvious.

Really, there were no words to help the situation so we may as well pretend that had not just happened.

"Do you have any photo albums?" I asked shakily.

"Emma's are over there, in the bookcase," he said shortly.

"Do we have a wedding album?" I wanted to see what I wore. Surely a dress. It could not have been a hoodie occasion.

"There aren't any photos. I told you it wasn't that type of wedding."

So, great.

The day most women live for had been a mere business transaction.

"I don't understand why we made it legal. Why not just wait for the baby to be born, then go our separate ways?"

"I don't know. You did want to try, for a while during the pregnancy, because you didn't want our daughter to have the same sense of abandonment you grew up with, but of course, Jacob ruined that.

He came to see you just before the birth and I guess whatever he said to you made you realise you had paid too high a price to have the baby. It wasn't like she was the child of the man you loved.

You went into labour while you two were arguing and, yeah, it wasn't the atmosphere I wanted for Emma when she appeared."

This day was just getting worse.

"Please don't tell me any more details. I don't think I can cope yet."

"I don't know that I ever want you to hear them, actually, they are better forgotten. For all of us."

" Anyway," I said, changing the subject back. " I have never heard of a wedding without a single photo, no matter how tight the budget and clearly money has never been an issue."

"It was one of your conditions. You did not want any photos, any wedding dress or any words in the ceremony that implied we were doing it out of love. No guests, no reception. I agree because I was so desperate to make sure the baby got my surname, and to make you legally entitled to half of everything I own."

"So, how much did I rip you off for?" I asked fearfully.

"Actually, you didn't ask for anything. You took some money from the safe when you left but only a grand."

Okay so I have to presume Jake gave me the four and half thousand dollars that Carlisle was holding for me in his safe at the hospital.

I had been pretty sure it wasn't mine but he said it was found in my coat pocket so legally as far as he was concerned, I owned it.

Maybe I could give Edward back the money I had taken from here.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to his chest and pinned me there in a bearhug.

"Sorry for frightening you. I didn't mean to. It wasn't even the fact that Jacob must have given you those things, it was more the fact that it looked like you were rubbing them in my face. Like the old Bella.

I forgot you had no memory for a moment.

Of course any normal wife would assume those were something she had for special occasions with her husband.

Look, all in all it's been a pretty stressful day, with Rose and Emmett as well Let's forget it, and start again tomorrow?

Now, I really have to go."

He checked the time again but he seemed kind of reluctant to leave.

I thought maybe he was worried about leaving Emma alone with me even though she always slept through the night apparently.

Then the doorbell sounded and Esme appeared.

Edward looked almost embarrassed.

"Bella, we thought it might be best, while you are still recovering, if someone else was here to help at night in case Emma wakes up.."

I was right. They all think I might do a runner, and leave Emma alone in the house. I wonder if that's what I did last time?

Or worse, kidnap her.

Surely my parental rights had been terminated? This family was determined to do what was right for my daughter so it was probably for the best if they had been.

"That's cool. I don't trust myself alone with her either. I don't know much about looking after an infant. I guess I have forgotten that as well. Esme, can I get you a coffee? It's so nice of you to do this for us."

I really wanted to talk to her alone.

Even though Edward wants the past forgotten and left behind, she is his mother and if she thinks I am entirely irredeemable, then it's something I need to keep in mind before we get too comfortable.

Edward kissed us both goodbye, on our cheeks, and left, after giving his mother a pleading look that I probably wasn't meant to see.

We went into the kitchen and Esme sat down and watched as I attempted to get the coffee machine to work. It had so many buttons and programmes it was like a plane's cockpit.

She smiled and came to my rescue.

"Cappuccino? I didn't know you drank anything but espresso."

"It seems things have changed beyond the obvious. I wish I had forgotten how much I love chocolate though. I found a stash in pantry."

"Then get it out, girl. Everything tastes better with a chocolate chaser."

We sat and sipped and nibbled and I tried to gauge how she felt about me being here.

She slid one hand over mine and smiled.

"Edward is the most precious person in the world to me. After I had Emmett, I wanted a daughter next but when Edward arrived, I wasn't even slightly disappointed. He was just so perfect from day one.

We bonded instantly.

It was amazing.

I wanted it to be that way for you and Emma, too. It was very sad that you missed out on that special moment.

I have to admit, I was torn when you left.

Half of me was glad to see you go, but on the other hand, Edward was devastated.

Since you have been back, you seem so different.

I can feel the good in you, and I know this sounds strange but it's like you have a different person inside you now. Like all that's left of the old you is your skin.

You look the same, except now you smile.

You sound much the same although Edward tells me you sing like an angel and I never heard you sing before. You never seemed the singing type.

The biggest change for me is in your eyes.

They used to be so full of hurt and pain, and anger. It was hard to even look into them.

They say everything happens for the best, well, in this case it's true. I thank God for sending Tyler into that road, and almost hitting you that day.

I'm sorry you don't remember growing up with Charlie because that man devoted himself to you, but maybe in time you may get some memories back. I hope they are just the good ones."

"Thank you, Esme," I choked. " I feel so needy sometimes. I guess because I grew up without a mother."

"Bella, I have something for you. I don't want to upset you but when you were taken into the ER, all you had in your coat pocket was that money and this photo. Charlie confirms it is probably a photo of your Mom, Renee. He has not seen her for a lot of years but he says the eyes look right and she may well look like this now. Anyway,who else's photo would it be? Do you recognise her?"

I took the print from her and smiled.

"I guess it is my Mom. If not, it is a lady who I love like a mother. And that's her dog, Anna. Look, her ears are different to Amber's but they are very alike, right? I wondered if I had just dreamt them up so I am happy they do exist."

Then I burst into tears because I was pretty sure they were both dead. I put the photo into my pocket.

She handed me a tissue to dry my eyes and luckily Emma picked that moment to let out an indignant wail.

"You go to her, dear. You are her Mom."

I ran upstairs and found a soggy bottomed little girl, and lifted out to change her.

Emma was half asleep so I sat in the rocker and settled her down against my shoulder then slipped her back into her crib.

When I went back downstairs, Esme had gone.

I felt a lump in my throat that she trusted me so readily, and went up to our bedroom to lie in bed and read for a while.

I had a whole drawer full of silky nightgowns so I put on a red one. It made me feel cheerful. I lay across the width of the bed and still fitted easily.

Alice had left me a pile of books, so I suspect Edward had been talking to her before her visit today, because I opened the top book and smiled.

"_It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife"._

xxxx

EPOV

I'd arrived home in the early hours to find Esme asleep in her car. She explained she wanted Bella to know she trusted her but ,as I had asked her to stay, she wasn't going to leave until I got home.

I thanked and offered her a bed in a guest room or at least a coffee before she drove home.

She accepted the coffee so we sat together in the dim light and talked.

I was really grateful to know she was on our side. If we were to have any kind of chance, we needed allies, not enemies.

After she left I waited for her text message announcing she got home safely, then went up to check on Emma.

My daughter looked angelic, and very peaceful. I could hear her breathing deeply and evenly, lost in the sleep of the innocent.

I blew her a kiss and went into the bedroom where Bella lay asleep, too.

Was it a good idea to share a bed yet? From my own point of view, yes, it was, because I had never really had an entire night where I had gotten to sleep beside her before now.

After we married she had her own bedroom, down the hallway and I had never been invited to visit. It was the same room where our daughter had been conceived, as the one night Bella had slept me with, she had shaken her head at the idea of using my bedroom.

I should have known then how detached she felt from me.

My bedroom had been too personal for her.

She'd been warning me that it was not a beginning. Just a night necessary to endure in order to hurt Jake as much as he had hurt her.

At least her ghost had never set up camp in this bedroom. That was one good thing.

I changed and slipped into bed and Bella sensed me there without waking up, and moved closer, laying her head on my chest.

I put my arm around her shoulders and held her against my thudding heart. Now this was the way I had wanted her to lie with me from when I was sixteen years old.

I knew her vaguely before that, as the friend of my sister, but they spent their days either holed up in Alice's bedroom or at Charlie's house, so I guess I never took the time to really see her until Emmett and I started at Forks High.

Mom had kept Alice closer to home because of her unpredictable state of health, and now our place was here to watch over her.

I remember my brother and I walking into the cafeteria on that first day, and creating a bit of a disturbance. All the girls were eyeing us both off, and Emmett was whispering 'dibs' every time we passed another girl he liked the look of. It was his own little cattle market.

He had been very popular at our old school and had left few stones unturned.

Now he had a whole fresh meat market at his fingertips.

On the other hand, I was scanning the 'crowd' such as it was, looking for Alice.

She'd insisted on catching the school bus as usual as she wanted to sit with her friend.

I finally saw her, but my eyes only flicked over her briefly because the beautiful brown eyes of the girl at her side caught my gaze and I felt a little dazed and a lot bewitched.

Heck, she was gorgeous.

How had I never noticed that before?

Emmett had wandered off somewhere with a blossoming blonde bombshell who I later was introduced to.

Rosalie Hale.

She was not about to sit back and let any of the other girls get their grubby paws near him, so funnily enough, his 'menu' was instantly reduced to just the one dish.

He didn't care.

A quick sweep of the others and he knew he had the attention of the sexiest girl there, so why bother with the lesser mortals, he told me later.

My eyes were only interested in Bella.

My sister introduced us formally, and invited me to sit with them seeing Emmett was occupied elsewhere.

Alice started to scoot over closer to her friend, but I quickly sat down in the space between the two girls, and was instantly aware of the subtle floral aroma that Bella exuded.

She looked confused as to why I had chosen to sit between them, so that was the first indication that I lacked the instant charm my brother seemed to have an excess of.

Then the two girls leaned forward and talked around me, so I didn't try sitting in the middle again.

Bella seemed to hardly notice me in the months, even years, that followed, although I was constantly aware of her presence or absence.

Her main, or, really, only topic of conversation was of the boy whose name I soon got sick of hearing.

Jacob Black.

It seemed he and Bella had literally known one another since birth and had made mud pies together at First Beach from the time they could sit up. Jake was two days younger so my sister used that to tease Bella about her being an 'older woman'.

I was glad this godlike creature didn't attend our school, but it made little difference. Bella sat next to Alice in every class, so I could never get to be her lab partner or study buddy; my sister had those roles sewn up already.

Then after school, the wonderful Jake would arrive on a large noisy black motorbike, and Bella would jump on behind him and put her arms around his waist. I'd watch her rest her head on his back as he sped away with her to God knows where, to do God knows what.

Unfortunately, I soon knew far more than I wanted to about the 'what'.

Bella had a pregnancy scare and my sister insisted, once it proved to be a false alarm, that she visited our father in a professional capacity, and get herself made safe.

I remember Carlisle being disturbed about what was the better thing to do...prevent an unwanted pregnancy or start a girl of sixteen on the Pill?

I know he wasn't happy, but I guess he gave in after Charlie came and talked to him about his take on the situation.

Years later when Bella and I spent that one single night together, she neglected to tell me she had given up taking the contraceptive because she and Jake were on a 'sex break'.

In time she explained she had been planning to go to Seattle to a gynecologist to get a hymen repair done so it really would be like she lost her virginity again on the night of their honeymoon but she had changed her mind about putting herself through the surgery when she and Jake broke up, after the Leah incident.

I remember thinking she was a little crazy, with her outlandish ideas, but it never dimmed the affection I felt for her.

I did get to take her to prom, but only because it was school policy that no outsiders could attend, and even that evening was spoiled by Jacob being there afterwards, waiting to take her off into the night, leaving me to go on to the afterparty alone.

As a result, I found myself starting to realise I was not going to win her. I was not even a contender. None of the other boys were either but that was no comfort.

She only had eyes for Jake.

Thus my turning to other girls to date.

There were plenty to choose from.

My hair had gone from simply messy to somehow 'sexy', it seemed; and my lanky frame had filled out from all the hours I had spent in the gym after school, seeing I had nothing better to do.

Emmett had sorted a workout routine for me, but unlike his body, mine never bulked up a lot. My muscles were leaner so I was quite deceptively stronger than one would think to look at me.

It did seem a little unfair that Emmett did half the work I did yet got the much more spectacular results.

I was glad to have Jasper as my friend, seeing he was similarly built to me.

Naturally Jacob Black had to be as lucky as my brother.

He changed from tall and thin, to tall and incredibly muscular over our Junior Year break, and Bella swooned over him all the more.

She liked men with obvious muscles.

Back then I thought maybe Jake was good for her. They were almost always together, and seemed to be a pretty much ideal couple. I could see that for myself although I hated admitting it.

Then in the years after graduation came the engagement and the beginning of the chaos.

Emmett told me later there were other reasons Jake had cheated on Bella.

The reality of getting engaged had made him realise he was about to commit himself to only ever being with one girl for his whole life, and I guess he wanted some variety in his bed before that happened.

Bella withholding sex had just been the trigger, the gun had always been there cocked and waiting.

Every other guy in town had the sense to stay the heck away from Bella when she was 'single' during their frequent temporary breakups, but of course, I saw them as long awaited opportunities.

I'd been a fool, but then, if I hadn't been, she'd have barely known I existed, and Emma would not be here and neither would the girl in bed beside me now.

She was so different since the accident it was hard to reconcile that she was still Bella.

I almost wanted to change her name and pretend she was someone else, someone new.

My new beginning.

Bella without the baggage.

I felt her stir and she suddenly moved away, back to her side of the bed.

"Sorry," she said, yawning, turning over to face the wall.

"Don't go, I was enjoying your warmth," I replied, and she turned back to face me.

"Edward, can we just kiss or touch or something? I really need some happy memories back so maybe if we cuddled it would bring back the good times. If you want to, that is."

"Of course I want to," I replied, deciding there and then not to tell her that our one encounter had been so brief and anything but romantic in the end.

I trusted her now, and forced myself not to check the bedside table for cell phones set to record my every move.

I pulled her on top of my body and started kissing her neck, and throat then as she purred in my arms, I kissed her mouth.

She responded warmly, with no impatience, no demand we 'get this done', and we both enjoyed the next hour, just touching; exploring one another's bodies in an almost innocent manner.

I wanted this closeness between us, and to be honest, I wanted a whole lot more than what we doing, but I knew we had to take things slowly.

Bella's small warm hands roamed over my chest and when my own hand started stroking her breasts, she breathed faster and moaned a little into my mouth.

I kept the kissing going so there would be no awkward words, and moved my hands down to her hips.

She started to move against me, grinding against my junk and I rolled us to the side to keep things from reaching boiling point.

I wasn't going to take advantage of the fact that she thought we had made love regularly so why not just get back to the way she imagined things had been.

I tried very hard to banish Jake and what they had done together from my brain and just enjoyed that for now, Bella was mine.

And in a much more willing mode than she had ever been before.

I'd loved her for so long, none of this felt wrong but I was pleasantly surprised I was falling in love with her even harder.

Maybe because I felt I'd come to know her new persona so much better than her old, and of course, this new Bella was so warm, and tender and loving, so different to how she had been with me in the past.

It had always disturbed me that Emma had been conceived that deceit filled night but maybe if Bella kept wanting me and liking me like this, I would, in time, have another night I could use as a substitute for that black night, and try to pretend she had been begun in love and not hate and anger, and revenge.

Bella suddenly went limp and I smirked and released her lips from mine.

"Breathe," I laughed, shaking her a little until she opened her eyes.

"Wow. We are hot," she stated.

She closed in again, lifting her upper leg over mine and bringing herself dangerously close to my very alert junk, and I broke off kissing her again to talk.

"Bella, are you sure about this?" I whispered. I so hoped she was.

"Yes, Edward, I think I will pretty much explode if we stop now."

"You know we conceived a baby the first time we did this together? Are you on the Pill now?"

"No!," she exclaimed, in disappointment, slapping her forehead.

I didn't exactly have the need to keep a stash of rubbers in my bedroom, so it seemed tonight would not be the night we both wanted it to be.

"Sorry, Love but we are nowhere near ready for that to happen again. But just relax and trust me, and we can still have some fun."

I kept myself under control and made sure not to penetrate her, no matter how much we both wanted it, and I watched her face as her body exploded at my touch.

She cried out my name and I think I came straight after she did more because of her words than anything we were doing.

My heart seemed to fill up with even more love for her, which I would have thought impossible.

I knew I was lost now.

Lost, naked, vulnerable and completely in her power.

She could keep me or snap me like a twig.

"Is it always like that, with us?" she asked as she snuggled into my side.

"Oh Bella, this is so much better," I replied honestly.

xxxx


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning, be prepared for the sex, it will not be what you are expecting but it is necessary to the plot.**

The Other Twin

Chapter 6

BPOV

So, it seems there's nothing like a hot makeout session with Edward's long fingers and other body parts to ensure some sleep deep enough to leave you refreshed after just two hours of slumber. I awoke to the sound of an impatient little girl's cries and slipped out of bed to attend to her.

She laughed as I made grossed out faces at her while I changed her diaper.

Then she tried to splash me with the stream of water from the tap as I washed my hands.

Edward was laying face down when we got back, holding his pillow over his head.

"Look at lazy Dadda. He doesn't want to get up today and he promised to take us girls shopping.

Maybe I should drive us, hey Emma?"

"Can you remember how to drive?" Edward asked.

"Who knows?" I answered cheerfully.

"Let's not take any chances just yet. I guess Dadda has to get up. Unless..."

He reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out a shiny baby toy.

"Hey Emma, now you have a nice dry bottom, would you like to play with Mr Talky Bear?"

She reached out for it so Edward jumped up and scooped her from my arms and disappeared back towards the nursery with baby and toy.

He was back inside a minute, grabbing me around the waist and kissing my neck.

" I was hoping we would wake up before she did, so you and I could amuse ourselves again.

We should get half an hour or so before she gets bored with the toy. Want to come back to bed?"

I licked my lips.

"I guess. If it's for sleeping purposes."

"Sure, that's what I had in mind," he replied, opening the covers and dropping us both down onto the sheet.

Then he covered us up and maneuvered me to be underneath him.

He grinned cheekily as his hands grazed inside my thighs, pulling my panties down and off..

"Can I try one thing we have never done before?"

I shivered in anticipation because pretty much whatever he wanted to do was fine with me.

He wriggled down until his face was buried in my crotch and eased my legs apart. They were pretty eager to comply.

I felt his tongue lashing against my skin and it felt like tiny shocks of electricity.

I grabbed his head and held him there in case he had any ideas about escaping.

I felt him smile as he kissed my flesh and then started licking again, and I reached up to grab the mental bars of the bedhead to keep myself from floating away off the bed.

"Oh my God, Edward, just keep..."

He did.

I felt myself tense and fire started building up in my belly and between my thighs and then he sucked down on me and I exploded.

Funnily enough I didn't pass out, thank Heavens. He kept his tongue against me until the aftershocks passed, then he reappeared up beside my face, looking pretty chuffed.

"Wow. Just wow," I said, flopping flat on the mattress. "You do good work, Edward."

Now, had he gotten into the habit of doing that a while ago I bet I would have forgotten whatshisname a lot sooner.

I wanted to reciprocate in some way but quickly realised all forms of sex were yet another mystery to me now and I felt quite awkward as I fumbled around with my hands, wondering how one went about not biting if she took something into her mouth...

"Hey, I don't need you to do that before you are ready. Let's just practice what we did last night again."

He slid between my legs and I felt him rubbing against my swollen skin, back and forth until I thought I would scream. Which I did of course. Wasn't that the whole point?

His body shook and I felt him pull away from my entrance as a safety measure as he started gasping in air and his lips started kissing mine roughly as he peaked. He jerked against my thigh for a minute, moaning softly.

His heart pounded loudly enough for me to hear and I wrapped my arms around him and held him against my body until he calmed down again.

"We need to visit a Pharmacy today," he growled.

I felt myself shiver in excitement from head to foot.

"Definitely."

Edward held me close, kissing my neck and throat, and I rubbed my hands over his back, and kissed his lips when he turned his face to me again.

"Bella," he sighed happily.

It was nice to know I could make him happy because I already knew I could make him sad.

"Come on, shower time. You can wash my back and I'll wash your front," he offered.

He seemed to have a lot of fun soaping up my breasts and I decided to be brave, and slid my hands down, washing between his thighs, exploring every inch of what hung there.

I had to look, it was if I had never seen a naked man before which wasn't true, obviously, but no matter how many I had seen I was sure he was the best.

He started humming and grinned, stepping away.

"We have a baby waiting for her breakfast but we will continue this, and more, tonight."

"Promise?" I replied, sliding my hand along his length, rinsing him clean.

"Bellaaa..."

xxx

Luckily Emma had survived just fine and was still sitting in her crib babbling back at the talking bear. She grinned as I walked in to pick her up.

"Which dress do you want to wear today? This one? Isn't it pretty. You are such a lucky girl. All these dresses and Momma has none."

I brushed her curls out and decided her hair was long enough to tie up in a topknot, and found a piece of blue ribbon.

Edward smiled and came to give us a group hug when we showed him how beautiful she looked.

After breakfast it was in the car and off to Port Angeles.

Sure I wanted to find a decent dress shop but even more, I wanted to find a Pharmacy.

xxxx

As much fun as it was trying on frocks that cost more than I ever imagined, I couldn't forget what we were planning to do tonight and I found myself fantasizing about what it would be like to feel him inside me. I knew I kept drifting off, but he knew why and he would laugh and shake his head whenever he caught me doing it.

When he had to walk past me, which seemed to happen surprisingly often, he slid his body closely against mine, and by the time we went to a nice little restaurant for lunch, I was mentally trying to work out how to lure him into the bathroom behind me, but the new responsible mother in me won, and I sighed and read the menu.

_Mustn't abandon baby with strangers while having my way with her father._

"What would you like to order?" the waitress asked, just about shoving one of her enormous boobs into his face.

I glared.

"Edward, choose something with lots of carbs for endurance," I suggested."You will need it tonight."

I enjoyed her envious glare as she walked away muttering.

I sent her a telepathic message.

_This one is taken, bitch. Find your own_.

xxxx

On the way home Edward seemed to be driving way too fast and I had to remind him there were cops in Forks who patrolled these streets.

"It's okay, Bella," he winked. "I have the Police Chief onside."

He laughed and I had no idea why.

"Your father, Charlie, is the Chief of Police here. Didn't you know that?"

"Hmm, I wonder if he would lend me his handcuffs?" I mused out loud.

"You know what? Emmett and Rose have been wanting to have Emma visit with them, why don't we drop her at their place? Rose has a nursery set up for her, so she could take a nap, and we could go home and take a nap..." he said breathlessly.

xxxx

Although Emmett greeted us with a friendly hug, Rose just about snatched Emma from me then walked inside, leaving us at their door.

"Do you want to come in and have a drink or something?" Emmett asked.

Edward and I looked at one another.

"We have this thing we have to..." he said.

"I have a headache and just want to get home.." I said at the same time.

"Oh. Oh! I see!," Emmett said, whispering conspiratorially. "Do you want us to keep the baby overnight? It's no problem. Just so those innocent little ears don't hear anything they shouldn't."

"That would be great. We will get her in the morning," Edward replied, grabbing my hand and virtually running for the car.

"Subtle, Edward, "I growled, almost embarrassed, but I wanted this time alone as much as he did.

We barely made it through the front door before we pounced on one another.

Edward's lips tore at mine and I struggled to undo his clothing as we struggled to get naked on our way upstairs.

This was going to be epic.

I had an idea sex may have been the one good thing between us before because he was very keen to get back to it.

Finally we were in the bedroom and instantly, he was ripping open one of the foil packets hurriedly while I got onto the bed.

He grabbed my ankles and pushed my legs apart then next thing he was above me,

and I smiled in anticipation as he thrust deep inside.

"Oh Hell, STOP," I screamed in pain as a red hot poker ripped into my body; all thoughts of lust gone instantly, just like that.

Edward froze and looked down at my face.

"What's wrong?"

I was panting gently, trying not to cry but the pain was bad. So bad. I felt like inside me was on fire and torn apart and when I watched him gingerly withdraw, there was blood. Quite a lot of blood.

And Edward looked like he was going into shock.

xxxx

EPOV

Okay, we mustn't panic.

There had to be a reasonable explanation why a woman who had given away her virginity at sixteen and followed up with years of sex with her boyfriend , and had given birth vaginally to a seven pound infant, just tore like a virgin.

I knelt between Bella's legs and held a cool washcloth against the source of the bleeding, checking every minute to see if it had stopped.

She was so pale, and clearly in a lot of pain.

She smiled weakly at me, her eyes wide with panic.

What the Hell was wrong?

Okay, I may have been a little rough in my desperation to be inside her, but she was used to sex.

I hadn't given it a single thought.

Maybe we should have started out nice and gently and gotten her more in the mood, but I honestly thought she was there, the way she grabbed my hips and pulled me inside her.

I'd felt the barrier tear as I thrust and instantly thought "Oh really? She did have her hymen repaired after all?" but even so it felt wrong.

She was so tight.

"Why did that hurt so badly?" she asked tearfully.

"Bella, you planned to have a procedure done that replicates virginity. I guess you did go ahead with it. May I examine you internally and see if we just undid the good doctor's handiwork?

She nodded but when I tried to insert a single finger inside her, she started crying again so I let her be.

Whoever she had gone to must have done a whole reconstruction of her vagina, which would have been such an overkill. She was a young woman and had only given birth to a single child, how much damage could there have been, if Carlisle had noticed nothing amiss at all?

I was so sorry to have hurt her but I was simmering inside that any surgeon would agree to do anything this extreme on a woman of Bella's age.

This kind of repair was usually done after a woman noticed a lack of muscle tone after multiple deliveries.

What the hell had he been thinking?

Then it hit me.

The only time this procedure could have been done and given her time to recuperate was when she was away at the spa those six weeks after delivery.

She had done this for Jake, though not for the same reason as she had first planned.

She'd done it to wipe away all evidence of Emma's birth.

Knowing Jacob hated the fact that she had carried my child, she had tried to make amends by erasing every sign of her. She made it appear as if our child had never existed.

The bleeding had stopped but Bella was still crying so I gave her two painkillers and carried her into a warm bath, and sat her across my lap. She cringed as the water stung against her grazed entrance and I felt helpless as the remaining blood oozed into the water where it was diluted and just tinged the bathwater slightly pale pink.

"What happened? Why did that hurt so badly? Surely I am used to you by now. Are you that much larger than , um, Jacob?"

I grunted.

"It would appear so. I'm so sorry. This is nothing like what I had planned."

"I'm sorry too," she said, and I sat there rocking her body, hoping the pain would pass soon. "I'm sorry for spoiling everything. And for the blood."

"You are not seriously apologizing for bleeding?" I growled.

"From what you have told me, I guess this is a habit. I do something wrong and you fix me."

"That's what I do, Bella. "

"Crap. This doesn't mean 'our song' is a Coldplay song, does it?"

I laughed and thought of the lyrics.

_'When you try your best, but you don't succeed_

_When you get what you want, but not what you need_

_When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep_

_Stuck in reverse_

_And the tears come streaming down your face_

_When you lose something you can't replace_

_When you love someone, but it goes to waste_

_Could it be worse?'_

Maybe not.

I went with the last refrain.

"_Lights will guide you home_

_And ignite your bones_

_And I will try to fix you._"

She snuggled up closer.

"Thank you, Edward. I hope you can."

"Do you want me to call Carlisle and get a second opinion? You are not really bleeding now. It seems to have stopped. But if you want him to check.."

"No. Please. I don't want anybody touching me down there," she cried. Just like she had refused to let him examine her when she had come back from the spa.

Now I understood why she had reacted so violently when he said she did need to be examined, and had referred her to James, another doctor at Forks Hospital.

She'd never kept that appointment but then, she had not needed to, it seems. She'd known everything had returned to normal because she had paid to make sure that was true.

I'd never really taken notice of what she had been spending money on while she was away. I recall there were a lot of cash advances, so I was pretty sure she would have paid that way to cover her tracks.

How ironic.

I had paid for my wife to become a virgin again for her boyfriend then ruptured her new replacement hymen myself.

Eventually the pills kicked in and she drifted off to sleep.

I lifted her into bed after the water started to cool, and lay beside her, angry on her behalf.

Whoever he was, that surgeon should be struck off for agreeing to the operation that soon after childbirth.

Okay, many women wanted to feel like that had when they were young, again, but at her tender age? Insane.

There is a word he could have used when she fronted up at his surgery.

NO.

Had it gotten to the point where doctors were willing to do anything to anyone, regardless of how unnecessary, so long as they got paid?

I hoped not.

xxxx

Surprisingly we both slept, and by morning Bella seemed fine.

She agreed that I should examine her to make sure there was no real damage that would need surgery, but everything felt normal, and she was merely a bit sensitive. She swore the pain had gone.

All the same, I felt we should wait a week or two before trying anything like that again, and I promised her that when we did, we would take it a lot more slowly, and use plenty of lube.

I hoped this experience would not interfere with the progress we had been making emotionally, because I was loving our newfound closeness.

Bella seemed to sense I was feeling jittery and she put her arms up for me to lay with her again, and we settled for just kissing for this session.

xxxx

It seemed Bella had recovered quickly, and I caught her Googling the operation I had explained to her.

"Edward, it says as long as the man treats the woman as he would a real virgin, there is no need to abstain. I would have thought it would be one of your fantasies, in the circumstances, to want to be able to pretend you were my first.

I want us to try again."

"You are bruised. You bled. Now you need a few days to allow your body to repair itself."

"Pfft. I'm sure I recovered well enough last time my virginity was taken.

Alice said it was much the same for her and Jasper the first time they made love, and they decided to just keep practising until they got it right and it became comfortable for her.

And she said it had been **fun** anyway, knowing they were learning what to do and what felt good for each of them. They looked on it as a learning experience that they would only get one chance to have.

You should just have some fun, Edward.

I'm sure most virgins get over the first shock a lot quicker and no doubt some of them even complete the act before freaking out about the pain and the blood. You are not using this as an excuse not to touch me again."

I will admit I liked the way she thought, and some part of me really wanted to completely 'take her virginity' for many reasons.

Because I had always wished I could have been her first.

She had been mine. My first and my only.

Obviously I wanted to remember my first sexual experience differently to how it had ended so I decided, if Bella could be a virgin again then so could I.

It was just semantics; same girl, same house if not same bed; but this time it would be so much better, because this time we were on the same page.

And because what Jake had robbed me of was available again. Did it matter at all that she had done the surgery for him, if I was the beneficiary?

It was my chance to get one up on Jacob Black, the man who had tried so hard to ruin my life when he was busy ruining hers.

But I didn't want to do this with any thoughts of revenge in my heart because that would make me as bad as he was.

No, I needed a few days just to get my thoughts back to where they should be.

Wanting to make love to Bella solely because I loved her and we should always have been the ones to give our virginities to one another in the first place.

I was going to make our new first time an occasion she would never forget, no matter how many blue sportscars tried to run her down and kill her in the future.

Hmm.

That had been rather strange when you thought about it.

Clumsy Bella had managed to jump back and save herself, in a situation where nine out of ten pedestrians would have frozen on the spot and been run down.

Maybe she had already been changing before she hit her head.

The one thing I clung on to was the fact she had been coming home to us.

There was no other explanation.

I had looked up Jacob Black's medical records and he had been admitted to Seattle General hospital at the same time that Bella was being mown down by Tyler.

And I suspected that he had jumped, not fallen, despite the story that had been given by his father to explain his injuries.

Jumped from Dead Man's Bluff. There was only ever one reason anyone went there.

He'd given up.

Bella had told him she wanted us, and had left him , knowing he would probably do something this reckless.

Jake being Jake would have warned her, threatened to kill himself, and still she had walked away, and come home.

Maybe she had felt something for Emma and I after all, despite her hurtful comments to the contrary.

xxxx

Distracting Bella was not easy but we had dinner at Charlie and Sue's tonight, so that would help.

Charlie didn't quite know how to greet his daughter. I guess he has never been that demonstrative towards her so he wasn't sure whether to start hugging her or what.

Bella took charge and grabbed him in a bearhug before things got a chance to become awkward.

Sue's eyes betrayed the fear she still felt around Bella. My wife had been pretty harsh toward her in the past so it wasn't surprising, but when Bella then took Sue into a full hug, I thought the poor woman might faint.

Nobody expected Bella to have changed so completely.

It was quite hard to forget and adapt but I was getting very used to this new persona.

Sue looked nervously at Bella when I offered our daughter over to her. She'd never been around the baby in Bella's presence before and she was waiting for the Mother Lioness to bite.

Bella walked around the room, looking at the many photos Charlie had up on his walls. Her life was documented from the day he took custody of her, and every year a new portrait appeared.

"Wow, I was a fat baby. Oh no, who cut my hair? Charlie! Surely that's child abuse. And I see why I had a closet full of jeans now, it was all you ever dressed me in."

"It was cold and they were practical," Charlie replied, standing beside his daughter.

"Look at this one. Sue cut you hair that year. Do you like it better?"

"Thank you, Sue, you saved me from looking like a little boy who fell under a lawn mower," Bella laughed. "And look, a dress. It's so pretty. Where on Earth did you get that from in this backwater?"

"I made it for you," Sue replied softly. "The embroidery is traditional handwork passed down from mother to daughter in our tribe."

"It's beautiful. It must have taken you forever. I tried to learn to smock once because I wanted one of those hippie blouses that were around in the 60's but I think my fingers are too small or something. I just made such a mess of it. Lucky ebay exists, right, so we can get vintage stuff like that."

Ebay?

Vintage stuff?

She used to call vintage clothing 'other people's throw away's' and belittle Alice for buying the pretty and colourful peasant skirts nobody made any more off ebay.

Charlie looked confused.

"You used to shop on ebay? I didn't think that old computer was capable."

Bella simply smiled, and moved on to the next photo.

"Whoa. Braces did me no favours. Talk about the ugly duckling."

"But you did grow into the beautiful Swan," I said, putting my arm around her waist.

"Okay, now that the tour of my past is done, Edward, could you bring in your camera?

We don't have a single family photo. You are my stepmother, Sue, so there should be some record kept for the future. Edward, would you mind?"

I got the camera from the car and snapped off a couple of shots then set the camera to automatic when she insisted I needed to be in some photos as well.

I handed Charlie the camera and asked him to take a few of Bella and I alone, and then with Emma.

I had very few photos of Bella, and those I did have were stolen from Alice, or given to me by Charlie, or taken by me when she wasn't aware.

During her pregnancy she'd thought herself disgusting to look at, but I'd seen the beauty of her softly swollen belly, and her blossoming body, though I admit I avoid taking any photos that showed her eyes. They had been so tortured and sad.

I'd mainly photographed her as she walked through the yard, or sat down by the creek on a rock, lost inside her own head.

Those pictures could be interpreted many ways.

Just a mother waiting for the arrival of her much wanted infant was how I chose to perceive them.

Our baby would never see how much Bella suffered to give her life.

She'd been depressed and barely eaten unless I forced her to.

I shook my head to clear the images away.

Emma was seated at the table between us, and gradually even Sue relaxed as Bella flitted around the kitchen helping her serve the meal.

Afterwards we sat in the sitting room while the grandparents played with Emma and Bella leaned over to me.

"Um, strange question seeing I grew up here, but where is the bathroom?"

"There's a powder room near the back door, and a bathroom upstairs", I replied quietly.

Bella excused herself and I nodded in the direction of the back door.

When she came back, Charlie stood up.

"Do you want to see your old room? We haven't changed it. I mean, Emma likes it as it is when she comes to visit."

"Emma visits?" she said in surprise. "Of course. I hadn't even thought about that. Does Edward bring her here often?"

"Whenever we ask him to, he's been really good about it. We used to visit at your house before you, ah, left, and I guess you don't remember. You were so ill at the time. Clinical depression, Carlisle said."

Bella shrugged.

"I guess a bump on the head was worth it to get me out of that state then."

As we drove home after promises to return weekly, every Thursday night, Bella placed her hand over mine as I drove.

"Edward, even if I do get my memory back one day, there will be one thing nobody could deny...I produced the most adorable baby in the Universe so I did do one good thing. One really good thing. I will always have that to cling to if all the bad stuff pops back into my brain. Nobody can take that away from me."

We got Emma to bed then went to bed ourselves.

Bella made an attempt to get me to try making love again but she accidentally flinched when I put my finger inside her, so I told her we needed to wait.

"But not for long, I promise. The first time I can do that without you feeling pain, believe me Bella, we will consummate this reunion."

xxxx

Seeing we had time to plan our mutual loss of virginities, I got busy.

Basic requirements were, according to my sister, rose petals to toss over the bed.

Champagne chilled in an ice bucket beside same bed.

Mood music, something soft and sweet rather than seductive, for first time.

Bella insisted I check her daily and two days later, she was, as she put it, good to go.

Esme had the baby for a sleepover, and we had all night.

I ran a bath and added some sweet smelling rose water to it.

I'd cooked a light meal that would not take long to consume, and it didn't.

Then I led the way upstairs and slowly stripped my wife naked.

"We have to take a bath? Really?" Bella protested, far too eager for her own good.

"The warm water will help," I replied, stepping in and helping her in after me.

She sat down straddling my lap, facing me and placed her hands on the sides of my head and kissed me.

My whole body responded I immediately questioned the wisdom of starting our date in here, naked, when the whole idea was to go slow and be extra gentle.

Bella stood up for a moment and reached onto the vanity for the tube of lube she had apparently brought in with us and placed on the rim of the tub. It was in a clear tube so not the one I'd bought. It seemed Bella was making sure we had whatever we needed to succeed this time.

I wish I could say I resisted as she kneeled down and took me inside her mouth.

My hands rested lightly on her head and I shut my eyes and just allowed myself a couple of minutes of pure pleasure.

I was lost inside Paradise when she straightened up and used her hand instead, applying lube as she stroked my length and I forgot to fight it when she sat down slowly and eased me inside her. I placed my hands on her hips just to keep her balanced, not to hurry anything along.

Her deep brown eyes stared into mine and we spoke without words, celebrating our triumph.

She smiled with joy and relief when I was fully encased and I grinned back.

God yes.

I may have been a late starter when it came to sex but she was making up for that now.

Refusing to even regret that we hadn't had this in the past; all those wasted years, I stayed in the moment and guided her as she rose and lowered herself slowly.

I had not actually intended that we make love in the bath but there was no way I was telling her that now.

Not when my brain was encased in this sensational fog, and all I could think was MINE.

She was mine now.

Nobody else could ever touch her again, and if he tried I would let Rose kill him.

"Bella," I moaned. Such a perfect name for my perfect girl.

"My beautiful Bella. I love you so much."

She leaned in to kiss me and started moving faster, so I watched her eyes carefully for signs of discomfort or pain then forgot everything as she shuddered and cried out my name.

Whoa, I had not expected to get her off our first time.

This was good. Unexpected but very, very good.

I lost it then, just watching the pleasure she was feeling, and kept her moving for a moment longer before we both stilled and she fell against my chest.

We'd done it and not only had it not been bad, it had been incredibly good.

xxxx

I carried Bella wrapped in a bath towel to bed, and she laughed at the rose petals so I dropped her onto them, and used some to cover her body.

"Oh Edward, so American Beauty. Right? Do I have the right movie?"

" Shush Bella, I'm trying to make a memory here," I protested.

"Hmm, I can't imagine any new memory will ever eclipse the one of being in that bath," she said lazily.

"Oh I do believe we will get even better with practice. So, shall we try? Or do you want to rest?"

She giggled

"Please Sir, I want some more."

I lowered myself over her body and reached for the side table, where my lube and condoms sat waiting.

Oh.

Condoms.

In theory, sperm are killed off by being submerged in very warm water, as they can't find anyway to cool themselves.

We were probably safe.

A hot tub was no place to make love if you wanted a baby out of it.

The very worst conditions in fact.

But they could be recovering now we were out.

I grabbed a little silver packet and ripped it open with my teeth.


	7. Chapter 7

The Other Twin

Chapter 7

EPOV

To say our life was perfect was inadequate.

I had never been so happy; never knew such joy existed.

Each day was like a new adventure now. Bella was my ideal 'mate'; so perfect, as if I had made her myself.

I was even starting to trust that when Jacob came back, everything would still be okay.

She didn't love him any more, but she did love me.

She hadn't said it yet but I could wait.

That was not all we were waiting for, of course.

We had to acknowledge that first time in the hot tub may have started something we were not yet ready for, but Bella's attitude eased my mind on that score.

"We are married. We already have a daughter. If I'm pregnant, then it's not a big deal. I would still have nine months to get to bond with you and Emma anyway, before the baby emerges.

Crap, I need to Google 'pain relief during childbirth'. I bet I was such a baby myself when I was in labour, going on how I reacted to my second "deflowering"."

"You were actually very quiet during labour," I replied.

"Really? Me? I scream at getting a splinter. Did I have masses of drugs because drugs could be good. I can have drugs, yeah?"

"There are some drugs that are safe and do reduce the intensity of labour," I agreed.

She had not needed them last time.

She hadn't asked for anything, other than for it all to be over.

She'd been lost somewhere, inside herself, just desperate to give birth so she could move on.

It will be different next time, I told myself.

Then her period showed.

Of course it had to be a relief because we were not ready yet but all I felt was an unexpected wave of disappointment.

Stupid, because this was the better ending. Who knows what the quality of my sperm would have been after being in that hot water, let alone rushing into a pregnancy was never a good thing.

Of course I'm glad she isn't pregnant.

It wasn't time; it was impractical on so many levels.

It would be better for her to be taking prenatal vitamins first...

The list of reasons why this was a lucky escape went on and on, but I couldn't tell my heart how to feel.

I knew from past experience that getting her pregnant would not tie her to me, but still. Imagine a pregnancy that was welcomed by us both.

Imagine Bella spending nine months happy and excited about the coming baby.

Imagine her rushing around the shops, buying all those baby items she thinks she bought last time, when in reality, Rose and Esme had bought everything.

Next time I was sure our new infant would be greeted with a whole bath full of rubber ducks.

But she wasn't pregnant.

"Phew, right?" Bella said. "It would have been too soon, and pretty reckless. Crazy, really. We hardly know one another well enough to want to have a baby."

I held her gaze and reached up to wipe away the single tear running down her cheek with my thumb.

"Right. Not sensible at all."

Her lower lip trembled and she quickly bit it, and turned her face away from me.

"Bella," I said softly, turning her face back to mine. "It's okay to be disappointed. It doesn't matter how unplanned and foolish it would have been, for all that, it would have been nice.

It would have been something we adapted to and accepted as kismet. Something we could celebrate even if it had been an accident."

"Nobody in their right mind would plan another baby yet, right?" she said.

I shrugged.

"If you think about it too long, nobody would ever have a baby at all, because it's never exactly the right time. You are never a hundred percent ready. A lot of women come to us at the clinic and say they don't know what they were thinking; how they will handle it; if they can be a good enough parent. But they usually adapt really quickly and look forward to the birth.

Most of them."

"I can't imagine how I could have carried Emma for all those months, and felt her kick inside me, then walked away when she was so beautiful, and so perfect. And ours.

Our little miracle that nobody else had any part in."

"Things were different then. You were different. I like this new Bella so much better. I always loved you but there were times when I didn't like you much. Now it feels like I have all of you, and I plan to keep you, my Bella. Forever. And as soon as you want to have another baby, I am onboard with that.

Life is too short and uncertain to always play by the rules.

It would not have been a disaster by any means if you had been pregnant."

She snuggled against me and I kissed the top of her head.

"One day, hopefully one day in the not so distant future, we will celebrate the happy news that Emma is going to be a big sister. Okay?"

xxxx

Of course, once you mention babies, someone has one.

Alice announced joyfully that she and Jasper would be parents by Spring, and as happy as I was for them, Rose and I both had the same look on our faces.

Pleased they were to be so lucky, but full of envy.

She did a good job of hiding it, and kissed Alice on the cheek and babbled something about this baby being her 'trial run' for her own future family. I knew she didn't really believe that.

She had reached the end of the road as far as assisted reproduction was concerned.

There was nothing left for her and Emmett to do but consider other ways to make a family.

"I'm going to need every bit of help anyone can offer," Alice said gleefully. "Triplets. Three whole babies. My Gosh, how many diapers do three newborns use in a day?"

"Triplets? How could you know that already?" Bella asked.

"Because, Bella, you have forgotten. When I have a dream it always comes true. Jaz and I are having triplet girls then a few years later, one single little baby boy. Stick around and see if you don't believe me."

"I plan to. Triplets, though, Alice. Won't this be a high risk pregnancy? Aren't you scared?"

"Nope," my sister replied, full of confidence. "Sure, it might be hard carrying three at once but at least I know it will have a happy outcome and all of our three girls will be fine. Now, we need to run some names by you all. I think multiples need to be named names that are similar and Jas thinks they need very different names so they feel more like individuals, especially if they are identical."

"Are they identical?" Bella asked excitedly, jumping around a little on her tippy toes.

"I'm not sure," Alice replied. "They do look very alike, but some siblings do. I won't know for sure until they do the 3D scans and so on. So, there is something to look forward to finding out, seeing I know everything else about them."

While the girls chatted, us men were congratulating Jasper and slapping his back.

Emmett didn't believe for a minute there would be triplets.

"That sister of ours is going to be so pissed off when she finds out it will take her three pregnancies to get three babies," he said, sitting down and helping himself to a beer.

"You are drinking again?" Jasper questioned.

Alcohol had been out of Emmett's life for years while he and Rose had tried to do everything right for optimum chances at conception.

"Yeah. We've pretty much accepted that if we have a family, the kids will be adopted. I'm okay with that but Rose wanted the whole pregnancy and birth thing... I told her if you adopt there's no chance of her losing her perfect figure and she cried. She said I was shallow if I thought her figure was any compensation for missing out on a baby of our own.

In a way, this news has come at the worst time.

Rosie knows it will never be us, bringing the champagne and making the announcement."

"Don't give up, you know Alice dreamt..."

"No, stop it," Emmett replied. "We have it in black and white. Neither of us can have a kid, so please never mention what your delusional wife dreams again. So, Edward, are you and Bella going to have more kids?"

"I hope so," I answered. "Alice did say so, and I am choosing to believe she is always right. I can't wait to do her first scan and count the heartbeats because I will be very disappointed if there aren't three."

The womenfolk were sitting in a huddle, and now and then one would protest loudly about a name someone had suggested.

"Elliot? For a girl? No way, they have to have girl only names."

"Jemima, Jemma, and Jessica? Really Rose? You have forgotten Jessica Stanley and how horrible she was to me at school?"

"Elizabeth? That's so old fashioned. That's like a name someone called Edward would name his kid."

Finally Emma fell asleep in her mother's arms and Bella reluctantly decided the baby needed to go home to her own bed.

I didn't mind at all. Home was were the crib was, but it was also where our bed was as well.

xxxx

In the weeks that followed, we spent a lot of time shopping in Port Angeles only baby shop. I half wanted to make a proper shopping trip and take Bella to Seattle, but for obvious reasons decided against it. No point pushing my luck.

Bella held up three little sleepsuits. One was pink with white stripes, another pink with white dots and the third pink check.

"Aren't these cute? Oh look, Edward, there's a yellow one with a duck on the front. Do you think Alice would allow one baby to wear yellow? It's so adorable."

"Maybe buy the three pink ones plus the yellow one just in case," I replied, standing as closely behind her as I could so I could nuzzle her neck. "You never know, there could be a fourth baby who needs it."

"Edward, if Alice says three then I think there will be only three inside her," my wife replied.

"I wasn't talking about Alice," I answered.

Bella dropped the rompers and turned to face me.

"Really? Seriously? You mean..."

"We could always start trying. There's no guarantee it will happen the first time, like with Emma. We may have to work on it for months."

"Oh no, poor us. All that work, how will we stand it?" she replied, throwing her arms around my neck.

Maybe it was crazy but wasn't life crazy anyway? There was so little we had any control over, why now just dive in the deep end and see how well we could swim?

xxxx

Bella took her vitamins religiously and once they kicked in, we stopped using condoms, which was a wonderful treat.

She liked it so much better, and of course, I was happy to no longer be 'taking a shower wearing a raincoat'.

Despite our 'fears', by the time Alice's scan was due, I had Bella booked in immediately after her.

I was pretty sure, as a doctor, I could tell even the earliest signs.

xxxx

"Okay, there is heartbeat number one," Carlisle announced as we all crowded around.

"Edward? Would you like to do the honours?"

I stepped up, and sure enough, there was a second heartbeat.

"Jaz. Come on. It's not rocket science. Just ease this over that side and look for your third daughter," I suggested.

"Oh wow," Bella said, clapping her hands as the monitor showed yet another fluttering little heart. "I guess Alice is always right."

Emmett just shrugged his shoulders but I saw him smile a small smile.

If she was right about this then maybe... he was thinking.

Rose was crying bucketloads, openly and Esme had her in her arms.

"Shh, Dear, this is happy news. Alice will never manage all alone. You and I will be permanent fixtures in their nursery. You will get all the baby time you could want."

Bella handed Emma to Rose, who looked shocked that my wife was offering her any sort of comfort. She gripped the baby like our daughter was her lifeline.

Gradually they drifted out as Jas handed around the still photos of the three tiny jellybeans together.

I closed the door behind them, and pulled Bella into my arms.

"So, do you want to go next?" I asked as I kissed her face softly.

"Seriously? I'm only just a little bit overdue."

"You are further than you think, if I'm right. I suspect that last period was just a little breakthrough bleeding. Come on, we may as well find out."

Bella fixed her eyes to the screen as I did, and I moved the scanner over her abdomen.

Sure enough, there it was.

A tiny seed with a flicker in the middle.

We are having another baby.

xxxx

Bella asked for us to wait until the danger period passed so I agreed to wait until she hit three months and didn't burst her bubble and inform her that women lost babies at each and every stage of pregnancy in fact.

Alice was certain this baby was going to make it so I had put my faith in her.

Bella and I fought to have our hands over the as yet non existent bump when we lay spooned together at night. We usually compromised and let each of us have one hand there, but it was so exciting seeing her desperately search for the first kick.

She didn't seem to realise it would come from within so she would feel it before I could.

Maybe weeks before anything could be detected from the outside.

The only mar on our perfect life was Rose's reaction when we made our announcement.

"No! Not her! Look how she was when Emma was born. How do you know she won't change back, and say all those blasphemous things again this time?" she screeched.

"What did I say?" Bella said in a panic, turning to face me.

"Nothing bad. Nothing, do you hear me, Rose?" I said loudly. "Bella said nothing at all. "

"Don't do this, Rose," Alice pleaded.

Esme caught Rose's hand and led her out to the kitchen, but panic swirled in my gut.

Maybe I could stop her saying those words now, but what about in the future?

She could pick up a phone, and call my wife and say everything, every single dark and vile word that Bella had spewed out that day.

And I was powerless to stop her.

xxxx

I/BPOV

"You look really happy, Bella" Jasper said as I sat down for our session.

"Why wouldn't I? Everything's going great."

"How do you feel about your absent memories now?"

"Good. I mean it. I am loving not having to really dwell on the past. All I know is what I've been told and sure, they do affect me but not at a deeper level because I don't remember doing all this bad stuff, and because Edward wants to forget them as well, why not just pretend our life together started the day we met? Remet. Whatever."

"And you still don't have any resentment back about your Mom?"

"Nope. Seems to me you need to be tapping all your patients on the head if they can't cope with their baggage and give them a clean brain to start over with."

"Do you have any memories at all of your childhood?"

"I have the impression I was very much loved. I guess maybe that was down to Charlie but to be honest, it feels much more like a Mother's love. Whenever I think of the woman I assume is my Mom, I feel warm and happy about her, until I realise she is dead."

"Renee's not dead. At least, not as far as anyone here knows. Maybe we should look into that."

I shrugged.

"Don't do it on my account. I feel quite happy with my present, and I'm happy for the past to stay there."

"And you have no 'impressions' about Jacob at all?"

"Nope. He could be anyone. I might have passed him in the street a dozen times for all I know. Maybe he has forgotten me too. How cool would that be? Oh wait, Edward told me a while ago that he was in hospital. Is he still alive?"

"Edward told you?"

"He wanted me to have the choice to go see Jake if I wanted, in case he died or something. But I didn't want to. I'm a little scared of him, but nothing more."

"Why are you scared of Jake?"

I shrugged.

"What if he still has the power to control me? I would rather just never see him again. He must have some freaky power like you do."

"I have freaky power?"

"You must know that. Whenever you are around, I feel all relaxed and calm."

He laughed.

"Nobody has ever said that before. However I am glad if that's the way I affect you.

I suspect you may be an empath."

"What the freak is an empath?" I asked. I knew I was some type of freak. That was a given.

"An empath is a person who feels an intellectual identification with someone; they vicariously experience how that person feels. Do you feel things about other people?"

I nodded.

"Alice has the ability to make me feel happy because I feel her happiness.

Edward makes me swoon, and want to be engulfed inside his arms, or his bed. But he also makes me feel incredibly safe and loved.

Beloved.

Esme feels the same way as my Mom felt.. Caring, Concerned.

Emmett makes me feel like he is my brother, and that there is all this ...foolishness and daring under his calm exterior. Like he would love to run through the forest and fight a grizzly bear.

Let's not mention Rose."

"No, please do. I'm interested."

"Well, Rose feels mainly extremely envious, of course, but there's also a lot of resentment. I'm sure that she hates seeing me be forgiven my wrongs and welcomed back into the family as if the things I did never happened.

I don't question it any more.

Edward is simply an amazing human being who I will never deserve, but he wants us to be a family, so as I am devoting my life to trying to make up for everything I did.

I love him, Jasper. I love him."

"Have you told him that?"

"No. I want to. I know I hurt him so badly in the past, it just seems maybe he won't want to hear the words. He might not believe me."

"Take a chance, Bella. I'm sure he would love to know how you feel. He's never going to turn his back on you, so what do you have to lose? He was still there when you did your worst, why would he not be happy to know you now want the same things he does, and love him and Emma?

Tell him tonight.

Is there anything else you want to discuss?"

"No," I replied.

I could do this.

Jasper was right.

If Edward could still love me then I owed it to him to tell him how much I cared back.

"So, Alice asked me to ask you to go see her on your way home. She finds it a little hard to jump in the car and go visit now the triplets are making their collective presence felt."

Edward was happy to take me to Alice's then go back for his shift. Esme was there already so Emma and I would be able to get a lift home.

"Bella!" Alice squealed, beckoning me towards where she lay on the sofa as I walked inside. "Wait until you hear what you are going to do. It will fix things between you and Rosalie."

"Then tell me, crazy girl," I ordered, as Esme carried Emma into the kitchen to find her a snack.

"Well, I know you don't remember this but when you were a teenager you used to be obsessed with eating eggs. All through college, every snack was a boiled egg.

Then you got pregnant.

What's your favourite food now?

Yes. Eggs."

"Hardly. Edward insists I eat them because they are good for the baby," I argued.

"Don't burden me with actual facts. Just go along.

There's probably absolutely no link but I know Rose will conceive next month so why don't you tell her eggs increased your fertility and she should try it. Then when she falls pregnant, she will think it's down to you sharing the secret with her.

She's had every form of assistance medicine can offer and no luck, so maybe she will believe an old wives tale."

"And I'm the old wife? Fair enough. But what if she wants more kids in the future? She'll end up eating eggs again and it won't work," I pointed out.

"No," Alice replied, shaking her head. "That won't be a problem. I saw an updated family portrait of them in my dream last night. Thank God the boys look like Emmett, and the girls like Rose. It would have been disappointing the other way around. Anyway, just do it."

"I don't actually visit Rose at her home a lot. Wouldn't she think it a little strange if I rang her up out of the blue and started gabbing on about eggs?"

"Problem solved. She is about to knock on my door. Go answer it for me."

Sure enough, an impatient knock that could only be Rose's sounded so I opened the door.

She immediately crossed her arms and glared, then brightened.

"Is Emma here?" she said as she pushed past me.

"Hi Rose, nice to see you too," I mumbled as I closed the door.

She knelt beside the couch and Allice placed Rose's hand where she could feel the triplets trying to kick one another.

"Hello babies. I can't wait to meet you. I have bought you the most gorgeous dresses known to man and wait until you see the shoe collection I have started for you. I can't wait to show them to you, Alice. These girls will be the best dressed babies in town."

"Bella dresses Emma up very prettily, don't you think? Edward used to dress her adequately, just not that imaginatively, but now she always looks like a little fairy princess," Alice stated.

"She does," Rose sighed. "I will give you that, Bella. You are being an amazing mother now. But then, you have a lot to make up for..."

"Rose, Bella was just telling me something she wanted to share with you," Alice interrupted. "Right, Bella?"

I felt a bit foolish but whatever.

If Rose was destined to conceive soon anyway, how could this small deception hurt?

Of course, I had no real insight to how desperate she was, and how willingly she would grab on to any slight hope.

"I was just saying to Alice that I read somewhere, that women who eat a lot of eggs apparently have no trouble conceiving. It worked for me both times. You know how I always loved my eggs? Well, I got into them again recently and here we go...another baby on the way. Sometimes I think all the contraception Edward and I will need will be him just not buying eggs any more.

Anyway, Alice said she had this massive craving for eggs herself and was eating them three times a day, and bingo... she gets knocked up with triplets. So we were wondering if you ate eggs?"

"I hate eggs. Too much protein. But maybe that's what has been going wrong," she exclaimed. "Alice, do you have any eggs?"

"Esme is in the kitchen. Go tell her to cook you up a batch," Alice replied, winking at me behind Rose's back as Rose charged out of the room.

We High Fived one another and grinned like the lunatics we are.

xxxx

Emma's first birthday almost caught me by surprise. I knew she was nearing her birthday soon but when I saw the date ringed in red on the calendar, I felt a stab of disappointment that the date wasn't tattooed on my heart.

Well, it would be now.

Esme helped me plan the party, and on the day, Emmett carried Alice inside and put her on our sofa, while Jas carried in the pillows that went everywhere with them now.

Alice always felt hot lately so she had pulled her top up and Emma was standing beside her, fascinated as the bumps in her belly appeared and went away again.

She started laughing and putting her hand where the last bump had been, then giggling if a baby foot kicked her.

She turned to me and clapped her hands and I couldn't wait for our little baby to be big and strong enough for Emma to feel. If Edward ever took his hand away that is.

He was as happy as a pig in mud and I prayed so hard that it would never change.

After everyone left and I'd cleared away the wrapping paper from the gifts, and the room was tidy again, we went up to bed.

"Let her sleep with us, just this once," I begged him.

She would not be the baby of the family much longer and I needed to enjoy her while she was my baby.

My beautiful, perfect baby girl.

Edward lay behind me, spooning in his usual manner and I curled up around Emma and watched her sleep.

This is perfect.

I wanted to freeze time and stay in this moment forever.


	8. Chapter 8

The Other Twin

Chapter 8

And We All Fall Down

Charlie Swan sighed and actually considered just shutting the boy's bedroom door, and forgetting what he had just seen, but the police officer inside him wouldn't let him.

"Dammit, Seth," he hissed as he went back into his former guest room, now the bedroom to Sue's teenage son.

Charlie knew the boy had issues with his Mom marrying again, especially as she had married him, the man Seth blamed for his parent's divorce in the first place.

It wasn't true, what the kid thought.

He and Sue had genuinely just been friends, for many years, and the whole romance had only started a whole year after the divorce.

Charlie knew he wasn't blameless but on the other hand, he had never cheated with his friend's wife.

Never.

They had controlled their emotions and their bodies once they realised what was happening, how their friendship was changing.

Sue had never been happy with her first husband, and the divorce would have happened a lot sooner had it not been for the child.

She'd hung in there as long as she could, putting up with her spouse's drinking and infidelity, but Charlie knew once Sue realised there could be a better alternative out there, waiting for her, she had thrown in the towel and filed for divorce.

There had been no promises made; Charlie was hardly the type of man to make any promises to another man's wife, but all the same, the moment a year had passed since the divorce became final, he had invited Sue out on a date, and the rest was, as they say, history.

Then of course, Bella had protested and decided she hated Sue now that the woman had gone from long time family friend, to Charlie's girlfriend.

And now that Bella liked Sue again, Seth decided to kick off. Not loudly and publicly as Bella had, but sneakily and quietly.

The first thing had been the leather jacket.

Seth had evidently forgotten he had it on when he came home from school and his mother had demanded to know where it came from.

At first the boy had tried to convince her he was merely minding it for a friend, but she had seen his name written inside and demanded the truth.

As far as they knew, Seth had taken it from a pile of coats dropped in a heap in the local park while some boys were playing a game of football.

He swore he thought it was lost; that the owner had left it behind but when that boy had come into the station to report it stolen, Charlie had gotten the truth.

Next was the bike incident.

He shook his head.

How on Earth had Seth ever thought he and Sue would believe someone gave him a bike? A nice, new shiny bike at that. Not even one that was old and scratched up to make the story he told more likely.

Had he brought home an old piece of junk they may well have believed some friend had outgrown the bike and handed it on to the boy when he got a new one.

Charlie had almost been tempted to treat Seth like any other teenage boy and charge him with theft, but luckily the real owner was a friend and they'd sorted things between themselves.

But now the kid had gone too far.

Unless he was going to go with the story he was now a crossdresser, what was the reason he had a woman's handbag half hidden under his bed?

Charlie pulled it out and reluctantly looked inside.

A small coin purse, a brush and comb, a handful of hair ties.

A passport.

A driver's licence.

An envelope.

A bus ticket.

No money, though maybe that just meant Seth had spent it already.

He heard the sound of the boy's feet thumping as he came upstairs.

Seth stopped dead still when he saw Charlie.

"I found it. I didn't steal it. Honest."

"Well, you didn't hand it in, so it's theft by finding," Charlie said dryly. Seth must already know that.

"If it isn't yours and you keep it, then it's wrong, Seth. You want us to trust you and treat you like an adult, then act like one. Who does it belong to? Where did you find it?"

The boy shrugged.

"By the road."

"Which road would that be? We have a few of them here in Forks."

"The road in town near the bus station. At the corner."

"Are you saying you found this where Bella almost got hit by Tyler's car? When exactly did you find it?"

"That day. I was going to tell you but you were all rushing around worried about her and she isn't even a nice person. She gets all the attention and I get ignored, unless I do something wrong."

"You know that isn't true. I do offer to take you fishing. Have you ever said yes?"

The boy looked at the floor and scraped his shoe along the polished boards.

"No. That was Dad and my thing to do. I didn't want to do that with you. And then Dad died."

By his face Charlie knew Seth blamed him for Harry's death.

The fact he was a lazy, overweight drunk was not why Harry died, in the boy's eyes. It was more a case of a broken heart.

Damn, the man could have put a little effort into holding his family together then the boy wouldn't be so messed up.

"So, do you know who it belongs to?" Charlie asked.

"Nuh. I don't care. I didn't look. And there was no money in it."

Charlie raised his eyebrows.

"Well, not much. Just a few dollars."

"That appear to be missing," Charlie commented as he checked the coin purse and found it empty. "Well, you can explain that to..."

He sat dead still as he read the passport.

Renee Marie Higginbotham.

Renee had been back here, to Forks?

He wondered why, and then he wondered if the mother of his child could be the real reason Bella had changed from how she used to be to Little Miss Sunshine.

But surely meeting the woman who gave you away was hardly the catalyst to suddenly becoming all sweetness and light.

He looked at the envelope and frowned. Inside was just a single piece of paper. A birth certificate.

Isabella Marie Swan.

Well that made no sense, none at all.

The date was right.

The date Annabella had been born.

But her name was never Isabella.

Hiis own mother had chosen the baby's name.

Annabella after great Grandma Annie.

Renee had agreed to that. She hadn't cared which name he chose.

Anyway he had Bella's birth certificate somewhere.

He went downstairs and rifled through the drawer, and compared the two. Both were the same, except for the name, and the slight marks where Renee told him some clerk had accidentally put in a sibling's name then erased it, because they both knew Annabella had no siblings.

Except this new birth certificate stated otherwise.

Renee had lied.

She had given birth to two baby girls, and never told him.

She had lied by omission.

"What are you going to do?" Seth asked from the bottom of the staircase.

"What?" said Charlie, confused.

"What punishment are you.."

"Oh, just go. And never do it again or I'll lock you in the holding cell overnight or something."

He had no interest in punishing the boy, not when that lying woman was here in town, no doubt looking for Annabella.

He wondered briefly what this other daughter, this Isabella, was like.

Hopefully an easier to manage girl than Annabella had been.

And then the pieces all fell into place and Charlie finally understood.

It wasn't Renee who was here in town, it was Isabella.

He grabbed his phone and called Billy Black, because there was no doubt in Charlie's mind that his so called friend knew exactly what the Hell was going on.

xxxx

I/BPOV

Now that the morning sickness had abated, I felt to much better.

I almost wanted to pretend to still be suffering because it was very nice to wake up and have Edward be already up, not only attending to our daughter but also bringing in a nice cup of tea with a few dry crackers every morning without fail.

He was such a darling.

"Bella, you can stay in bed a while if you want. I'm not on shift until eleven. Take advantage of the fact and have a lie in."

He placed my Earl Grey and crackers by the bedside.

"I feel fine today. Wonderful, in fact."

"Great," he said, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

Poor Edward.

We hadn't indulged in any morning sex since the nausea started and he missed it.

We still mad love every night but I knew he liked to 'start the day right' as he put it.

"Down, boy," I laughed as he grabbed me into his arms and bit on my earlobe.

"Bella, my Bella, my one and only true love, come on. Esme has already been for a quick visit and has taken Emma to her house. We have all this morning to ourselves and nothing to do. You wouldn't want to be bored, would you?"

I let him save me from boredom then lay beside him, his body spooned around mine.

This was what life was all about.

Edward was so sweet. I had really landed on my feet and found myself a truly wonderful guy.

And he was so hot.

In both meanings, I sighed.

His body was overheating mine and I carefully climbed out of bed and left him snoring quietly as I went for a shower.

Today I had things to do, places to go.

He might want to sleep the day away but I was going to go buy that crib I kept thinking about ever since we saw it when we were shopping for Alice's babies.

Emma is not old enough to sleep in a bed yet.

We need a second crib and so what if that pretty white one cost a fortune?

Edward could afford it and while this might not be my first baby, it was the first one I would remember from birth.

It was like the first time for me, if not for him.

I wanted everything for the new baby to be my choice, because, let's face it, I don't know what I was thinking when I chose all that chunky sensible furniture for Emma.

It was practical, I couldn't argue, and this other crib was no doubt overpriced and a waste of money but he, we, had money.

I could always finally spent that four and a half grand, if Edward said anything when the crib was delivered.

As I dried myself I felt it again.

That weird little twinge inside me.

It had to be my cervix, going on what I knew of anatomy, but maybe they all did this freaky tightening thing when one was knocked up.

But, I intend asking James to have a look just to be sure.

With my connections I could get in for an appointment this morning without an appointment.

I scribbled a note for Edward saying I would be back later, and walked downstairs to where my shiny new car awaited.

Now that I had proved I could remember how to drive, and had allowed Charlie to take me on several 'refresher' driving expeditions, I was allowed the freedom of the road.

First stop was Alice's, to make sure she hadn't exploded in the night, because she looked like a beachball that had been overinflated and I kind of expected the triplets to come shooting out one after the other any old day now.

Jasper let me in and we spoke quietly in the kitchen.

He made me a proper breakfast and growled at me for coming out without letting my husband play masterchef for me.

"He was asleep. You know the rule. Get any sleep you can before the delivery. You know Edward likes to do it all,; look after me, look after Emma, clean the house, go to work. He looked tired," I said, excusing my husband for letting me escape unfed.

Jasper was nearly as good at cooking anyway and he made pancakes.

Blueberry pancakes.

I'd never thought to ask Edward to make me any but I would now.

After a second serving I started thinking it may be me who explodes if I don't put down the fork, so I pushed my plate away.

"No, Jas, honestly. I'm done."

He checked on his sleeping blimp again we went upstairs so he could show me the latest additions to the room where the babies would sleep.

If he and Alice were lucky.

Three pink cribs.

Pink walls.

Pink blankets.

Pink, pink, pink.

Just as well the latest scan had confirmed the gender.

Three little girls.

Hmmp.

Some of us have to produce them one at a time.

Alice was going to have more kids than us even though we'd beaten her by fifteen months when we had Emma.

My cervix twinged again as we walked downstairs and I decided to go straight to the hospital and just make sure everything was nice and tight and safe.

xxxx

When I got to the hospital, Rose was just leaving the examination room, and she surprised me by jumping at me and encasing me in her arms.

"Bella, I'm pregnant."

"Oh wow. Congratulations," I replied. Sweet. It seemed Alice's plan had worked.

Rose had conceived and she thought I had something to do with it happening.

"It must have been the egss. I've been eating four each day though Carlisle says I have to cut down to just the one now.

But I'm pregnant!

I can't wait to tell Emmett!"

"Does he know you are here getting the test?" I asked.

"Nope. I would never get his hopes up, not after all the false alarms we have been through before. So many times we really thought... but it doesn't matter now.

Carlisle says everything looks great.

I'm so happy, Bella, and it's all down to you.

I'm so sorry for being such a cow but I promise, never again.

Anything you ever want, ever need, I'm your girl. Just ask.

I'm pregnant!"

"Go tell Emmett," I suggested, and walked up to the receptionist as Rose left the building.

James was busy and would be for hours but Carlisle offered to check me over if I was willing to let him.

Could be awkward, but then he had seen it all before when he delivered Emma, so I shook off any embarrassment and thanked him. I was a little worried he would insist on giving me a scan and I really didn't want another one if it could be avoided.

Edward insisted they were safe but how many times had mother's been reassured something was harmless and it turned out not to be? I bet the women who swallowed down their prescribed Thalidomide tablets to 'keep the crazy pregnant woman nice and calm' trusted their doctors implicitly.

We'd had the early scan and at the time I hadn't argued but it seemed foolhardy to keep having them done for no real reason.

He loomed over me as I lay there with my feet up in stirrups. Such an elegant pose.

Thank God Edward isn't here to photograph this examination for the baby book.

Honestly, I think the baby will have a thousand photos of me pregnant by the time it is born.

"So, describe what it feels like," Carlisle said as he scooted up to the business end on his little wheelie chair.

I tried to relax as I felt him insert the speculum and concentrated on the fact it was probably nothing, and I'd be out of here in a few minutes time.

"It's kind of a twinge, but a bit of a sting," I replied. "I'm sure Edward told you I had that creepy surgery done back in the day, and I'm worried it's done something to me."

"What surgery? There is nothing mentioned in your notes."

I was glad he couldn't see my face as I explained the ridiculous lengths I had gone to just to please the supposed 'love of my life'.

Carlisle seemed to be playing it very safe and examining everything again and again.

I looked up in surprise as he removed the speculum and stood up suddenly, without any warning.

So much for his famous bedside manner.

By the look on his face, I knew something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Shit.

I was going to lose Edward's precious baby.

"It's probably nothing. You just need to rest and keep off your feet. I'm going to admit you for a few days just to be on the safe side." he said quickly when he saw my face.

"I'll get Heidi to take you to your room, and I will call Edward.

Now, just relax, remember. Precious cargo onboard."

He handed me over to the nurse, and with one last reassuring smile that failed to meet his eyes, hurried off to his office.

xxxxx

EPOV

"What? Bella is where? The hospital? Is she okay?"

Dad was making no sense but he managed to calm down enough to reassure me that my wife was fine, the baby was fine, there was just some other problem that he wanted me to go in and discuss.

I'd just been woken up from a deep sleep and my head was still wooly.

"Okay, but first I need caffeine I will be with you shortly. You are sure Bella's okay?"

Dad offered to have a coffee waiting for me when I got there, but if this wasn't anything urgent, there was no reason to rush.

I took a shower and dressed , then went downstairs and made a coffee from my far superior machine to the one he had at work.

I was always going to replace the old clunker but never got around to it.

Still, I had time for a coffee before I went.

I'd had a dream this morning, and it had left me with an idea in my head.

I wanted to divorce Bella.

Then I wanted to marry Bella.

I know it sounds weird but it's like the old Bella is an entirely different person, but she is gone now, so I want her out of our lives.

And I want the new Bella, my Bella, to have the thrill of walking down the aisle, and having the dress and the cake and all the trimmings that she missed out on last time.

That was never a wedding, merely the signing of a contract.

Nope, not good enough.

Next time it will be the kind of wedding every girl dreams about.

I called Jay Jenks, and asked him to draw up the divorce papers, and poured myself another coffee.

I should leave and find out what bee is in Carlisle's bonnet..maybe Bella has told him we plan to name the baby after him if it's a boy.

Surely he will like that idea.

Of course, we don't actually know the gender because Bella wants to wait until delivery and have it be a surprise so I have done all her check-ups myself at home.

So far she has refused to let me do another scan, citing plenty of women around the world have no access to them and they still manage to give birth to healthy babies.

Anyway, even if there is anything amiss with the baby, she has told me clearly she will continue the pregnancy.

So she still holds on to one of her old convictions.

A baby is a baby, and it is sacred.

I would like the confirmation a more recent scan would give us that everything is normal, and maybe a hint as to which gender we can expect.

Neither of us mind at all either way, but everyone asks and sometimes I wish I could tell them. It's almost as if they imply by their reactions that we don't care enough to find out.

We care a whole lot for this baby but not about it's gender.

I honestly have no preference.

I have never secretly longed for a son, but I'd be fine if this baby was a boy, but then, maybe a sister for Emma first would be better.

Whatever we get we will love as much as we love our Number One Daughter.

It's Bella's baby, and my baby and Emma's sibling.

That makes it perfect and exactly what I want more than anything else in the world.

I was just sipping the last of the brew when a knock sounded at our front door.

Damn, I really need to leave.

I opened the door and a wave of shock rolled over me.

The woman standing in front of me, I knew without a single doubt, was my wife, Annabella Kate Swan Cullen.

And she wasn't pregnant.

And she wasn't my Bella at all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Not edited yet, sorry.**

The Other Twin

Chapter 9

EPOV

"Hello Edward," the not-my-Bella said. She looked terrible. I immediately wondered how on Earth I had ever thought My Bella was this woman?

This Bella was so thin it looked as if a breath of wind would snap her in half. Her hair was shorter and messy. She had black circles under her eyes.

In another life, I would have grabbed her into my arms and tried to fix her, again.

"Hello Bella. What brings you back here?" I asked calmly.

My mind was racing at a thousand miles an hour, but coming up blank.

"Um, I was wondering if you could lend me some cash? I only took a thousand when I left and it's kind of all gone now. I didn't expect to need any more than that."

"Where have you been?" I asked.

She lifted a lock of her hair to her mouth and chewed on it absentmindedly, a very familiar habit she had always done.

"Jake and I were in an accident. I thought maybe someone would have told you. I was released from Seattle Hospital yesterday."

"**You **jumped as well?" I said in surprise. Oh, that made so much more sense.

"I...we... Edward, you know I wasn't coping with anything very well, and at the time, it seemed like the only answer. Jacob says if you die together you will be reborn together and be soul mates forever."

"And of course, that is what you have always wanted."

I was somewhat surprised to find I didn't care and that her words no longer had the power to wound me. But still, who was my Bella and where had she come from and why was she pretending...wait. I thought about it.

My Bella had never, at any point, claimed to be Annabella Swan Cullen.

We had insisted she was.

"Edward, don't you care about me at all now?" this Bella asked.

"Look, I have somewhere I have to be, but I want to talk to you. I want you to sign some divorce papers and then you can have as much money as you want, but I have to go now.

Call me."

"I don't have a phone. I don't have anything."

I thought quickly.

"Get in the car. I'll take you to Charlie's. Stay there until I contact you and don't talk to anyone, or go anywhere or you can forget the money. Right?"

She nodded.

My heart did want to bleed a little at the state of her but I had to go find my Bella and make sure she hadn't disappeared in a puff of smoke because Bella was back.

Ridiculously I was trying to remember the rule about when someone from an alternate

universe or a time traveller or whatever came face to face with themselves...didn't one cease to exist?

Charlie wasn't home but I bundled his daughter inside and warned her again to stay put and wait for me to contact her.

"And eat something for God's sake," I growled as I left.

I pulled up in the parking lot and waved at my daughter, who was holding hands with my mother and Rose as she toddled around the garden in front of the hospital. Mom looked worried.

"Edward, I've got some wonderful news," Rose called.

I ran to them and scooped Emma up into my arms.

"I'm pregnant. And it's all down to Bella," she said excitedly.

I raised my eyebrows at that but the explanation would have to wait.

"Congratulations. We can celebrate this later, sorry, but something has come up. Mom, you have to promise me you will not hand Emma over to anyone. Not even Bella. Especially not Bella, okay?"

"What's happened?" Mum asked worried. "Your father seemed concerned about her and now she has been admitted for rest?"

"Mmm, I will get back to you about that. Just promise me you won't leave Emma's side for a moment. If she takes a nap, please stay in the same room. And lock your doors. Oh, activate the alarm. Just do this for me, Mom, and I will explain later."

I kissed Emma and handed her back.

"Sorry Rose, I know this is amazing news and I swear we will all get together soon for a baby shower or whatever, but right now I have to go."

As I walked away I heard Rose gasp.

"Oh no, Esme. You don't think Bella has turned bad again, do you?" she cried."Just when I decided she was okay after all."

xxxx

Carlisle was sitting in his office.

"Where is she? Are you sure everything is okay?" I demanded.

"I'm not immediately concerned but there is some weakness with her cervix so she will need to keep off her feet as much as possible. We may need to put in a cerclage."

"Where is she? I want to see her."

"Edward, she isn't Bella," Dad stated roughly.

"I know," I stated wearily, walking over to the window.

How could I explain to him when I had no idea what was going on myself?

Every theory I had come up with contained pod people and alternate universes, and dopplegangers. How could a girl who looked exactly like my wife choose Forks to visit?

As a movie plotline, that would be way too coincidental.

" I just took the real Bella to her father's house. She was in the 'accident' with Jake. She got released from Seattle General yesterday."

"Then who is this?" he questioned.

He had me there.

"I don't know. I don't care. She is my Bella, that's enough for me. I know I love her with all my heart and whoever she was, she is my Bella now."

"Son, she may be someone pulling a scam."

I laughed.

"Sure Dad. Well, she has had plenty of time to clean out my bank accounts and she hasn't. And Emma is safe and sound, I just saw her with Esme and Rosalie. So what is she after? And why would anyone want to pretend to be Annabella? It's not like her life was so amazing anyone else would wish they were her. Not to mention far more people detest her than like her. It would be like playing a role that guaranteed you instantly had a band of haters without any effort on your part. No sane person would want to step into those shoes."

He looked as confused as I felt.

"Is it possible she is an identical twin?" Carlisle mused and I laughed at myself for not coming up with such an obvious answer.

" If you think about it, that is the only explanation. Renee gave Charlie one twin and kept the other. Shit, what an idiot! I've seen Annabella's birth certificate...in the space where they list siblings, there's an erasure.

Charlie said it was an error that had been corrected but don't they always issue a new certificate in that case?

I remember thinking somebody would lose their job if we complained.

Fuck."

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Wait. How did you find out?" I questioned.

"I have been a doctor too many years to not be able to tell the difference between a primigravida and a multigravida. That woman in there is in her first pregnancy. I delivered Emma myself as you know, so the only explanation is, that woman is not Bella Swan.

She looks so much like your actual wife, therefore she must be a sister, and for Renee Higgenbotham to have two daughters to Charlie Swan, chances were they are twins because I cannot imagine either of them wanting to go back for a rerun.

When ...Bella... started telling me she had been through some vaginal repair surgery, I could see for myself that was not true, but then I saw her cervix. First pregnancy, there is no doubt."

"Not surprising, seeing she was a virgin until she came here," I stated, suddenly realizing that all the signs had been there all along.

There was no way she was Annabella.

People don't change

Not like that.

Not from deep inside.

A cold heart could never soften and warm enough to ever become the loving heart my Bella possessed.

She had never cheated on me, or used me or treated me as a fool.

All she had done was come into my life when I was at my lowest point, and offer me something different.

Something real, and loving and truthful.

Something so beautiful I could finally see my real wife clearly, and see how twisted our relationship has always been.

I had never liked the Real Bella nearly as much.I had always liked the fact she needed me, pure and simple.

She had never loved me and never even pretended to.

The only time we had been together with any semblance of normality had been for brief flashes of time when she was pregnant, and only then if she had no contact with Jacob.

Once they communicated, those tiny episodes ended and she slipped back into being precisely what she was; a woman who did not want to be with me.

Ever.

I'd merely been her backup plan; her safe harbour; her place to run when there was no other option.

But now I knew what real love was, and I would never choose the stupid half life I used to have over this new, warm, reciprocated love I had now.

I had exactly what I wanted; and my wife had never been capable of giving that to me herself.

Only my Bella could.

I didn't care if she was a twin, a lookalike cousin, or no relation at all.

She was my Bella and I loved her and nobody on this planet would come between us or hurt the woman I loved.

"What should we do? How do we tell my Bella? She has no idea and she is in here with an incompetent cervix.

It's bad enough I have to break it to her that the one truth she clings to; that Emma is her daughter, is not true after all, and in doing so we risk her losing the baby she is carrying?

Nope.

Not happening.

Annabella can sign the divorce papers and leave town.

I'll buy her an apartment in Manhattan.

She always wanted to live in New York.

And I'll get Jay Jenks to draw up a confidentially agreement. If she ever contacts my Bella or Emma, then the property reverts to me."

"And how will you keep her out of Forks? She could come back and just 'innocently' walk the streets and your Bella would see her...there would be questions, Edward.

I do agree we can't just blindside her with this news but obviously she will have to be told at some point."

Carlisle's office phone rang.

"Damn, I should have had my calls diverted. One second," he said irritably. Patients and the outside world had just become irrelevant.

"Charlie? Yes, we know. I thought that had to be the explanation. Edward's Bella has been admitted for observation here in this hospital. The actual Annabella is at your house right now. We have to discuss what happens next. My son has some reasons why we can't just announce the return of your wayward daughter to the world. Obviously we need to meet and sort this. Fine. See you soon."

He called in a locum and sat there thinking until the man appeared.

I went to my Bella's room and looked in on her.

"Dr Cullen," Victoria said warmly. It was a nice change from the way she used to flirt with me. Ever since my Bella had been a patient here, the nurses had changed their attitude toward me. I was no longer the doctor who was free to be pursued because his 'bitch' of a wife deserved no consideration.

They liked my Bella.

Nobody had so much as winked at me in months.

"How is she?" I asked, sitting down on the side of the bed and taking her hand. Her pulse was steady and she was sleeping normally.

"Dr Carlisle gave her something to help her relax and she drifted straight off to sleep. He is doing the cerclage in the morning. Once that stitch is in place, I'm sure everything will be fine.

Don't worry, we will take good care of her."

"I don't want her having any visitors. Unless I specifically give my permission, do not let anyone else in this room. You are aware of who Jacob Black is? If he shows up do not let him see her.

Or anyone who may resemble her, and claim to be her cousin, sister, whatever. Do you understand? I know it sounds strange and in time you will be told whatever you need to know. For now, trust me please. It's vitally important that she is allowed to rest. I will be back as soon as possible."

"No problem," Victoria replied, noting the chart and looking intrigued but not asking a single question.

If Annabella was back, the Jake was probably somewhere close by as well and there was no way he was getting any ideas about wanting to upgrade to the better twin.

My Bella was definitely the better person.

Nobody would choose Annabella over her.

It felt very weird being so much in love with the woman who carried my child yet not knowing even so much as her name.

How would I ever get used to calling her something else?

I kissed her forehead and she uttered my name in her sleep.

"Sleep well, my Bella. Who knows what you will be waking up to? I love you."

"I love you, Edward, she replied, and promptly rolled onto her side and clasped a pillow to her chest.

I almost laughed.

She could say the words in her sleep but not when she was awake.

It didn't worry me because I know what real love is now, and I know she feels that for me. Words won't change anything.

xxxx

As Carlisle and I headed out to leave the hospital, Charlie Swan walked in with one of his men.

"Charlie? Are they identical twins?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know for sure but one would have to assume so. I hope you both believe me when I say I had no idea.

Their birth certificates show they were born just hours apart. Obviously Renee didn't feel the need to share this news with me."

"I guess she fulfilled the agreement without leaving herself childless," Dad stated. "In a way, I can understand why she did what she did. I remember your mother and mine discussing the arrangement together, and yours was concerned that Renee was trying to renege and keep the baby when it was born. I guess Fate handed her the perfect solution."

"Until I understand just what is going on, I want my man sitting outside, er, Isabella's door. So we know where she is and for her own protection, " Charlie muttered awkwardly.

"Isabella?" I said in surprise. Well, I like that, and she was still my Bella.

"Isabella Marie. I cannot explain why Renee named her after my grandmother's twin sister. Maybe they were the only female twins she had heard of? Maybe she wanted the girls to know they were both part of the Swan family in a real way even though I might never have gotten to know Isabella existed."

"Maybe Renee will explain all this to you," Dad suggested.

Charlie took his hat off and scratched his head.

"Renee is dead. She died around the time Isabella appeared here. Less than a week beforehand."

"I'm sorry," Carlisle said.

I exhaled loudly.

Now I had yet another piece of devastating news to tell my Bella later.

"I want Jasper involved. My Bella is going to need him, so he needs to be brought up to speed," I decided.

Carlisle dialled my brother-in-laws number and waited.

"We need to take this out of the hospital. This is personal business. Until we decide what to do, nobody else needs to know anything or become involved. We can all meet at my house.

Jasper, can you come over to the house? We need your opinion on something. Oh? Of course. There will be a few of us. Okay, we will be there shortly."

He ended the call.

"Jasper doesn't want to leave Alice alone. He said we could meet at their house. It might be best anyway."

xxxx

Billy Black glared at me which was pretty much the only way the man had ever looked at me, and then he caught Charlie's eye and immediately looked chastened instead. So, he knew all along.

A man I suddenly recognised as Jacob pushed his father's wheelchair inside and I almost gasped out loud at his appearance. I wasn't expecting him to be so thin and haggard, even though I'd seen Annabella. Months laying in hospital comatose had left them both looking exhausted and like her, he'd lost weight.

His formerly buff frame was now emaciated and he looked as he had before the fitness craze had built up his muscular frame.

Now his resemblance to Emmet was completely erased. He looked like a haggard teenage boy. I almost wanted to offer to push the chair myself because he looked almost incapable.

He used to have long silky waist length hair that I couldn't help but envy, but now his hair was an inch long all over his head and coupled with the weight loss, he barely resembled his old self at all.

Alice reached out a hand to me, so I sat down on the sofa where she lay, her belly too large now for her to even sit upright.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. I finally dreamt the truth but your receptionist said you were dealing with some type of personal emergency and wouldn't put my call through. You know now? There are two Bella's.

I wasn't seeing two sides to her personality, I was seeing two separate women. I just didn't get it before. And now she's back."

I patted Alice's hand.

God only knows what I would have made of her ramblings had she dreamed the dream yesterday.

I would probably have wanted her sectioned.

"Billy Black has something he wishes to say," Charlie announced. It looked like the decades long friendship between the two men was suddenly over.

Jake slumped down on an armchair, his eyes dull and weary, as his father took the floor.

"After my son jumped from Dead Man's Bluff, I discovered he jumped with Annabella Swan Cullen. This will come as no surprise to any of you. It was always the way things would end, when you think about it.

Normally nobody survives that jump, because the water is particularly icy and you become so cold as to be incapable of swimming or keeping afloat but two men from the tribe witnessed their fall, and immediately dived in to rescue them.

Thus saving their lives.

When I went to Seattle General, I felt devastated that these two wonderful people had found themselves in such a desperate situation that they felt death was the only answer.

Of course I went straight to Charlie to tell him about his daughter, but before I said the words, he cut me off and told me Annabella was fine.

That she had almost been run down by a car and he had just left her bedside at Forks Hospital.

I knew that was impossible.

Then I saw a way for my son and the woman he loved to be together, in this life.

If some other girl had fooled the Cullen family into thinking she was Annabella, then why inform them of the truth? If women were so interchangeable to them, why rock the boat?

If Edward was happy with a substitute for his real wife, that meant my son and Annabella could finally be happy.

Jacob would never have been fooled by some look alike so I knew he deserved this chance.

So I kept silent.

While I am sorry I kept the news from Charlie, I know I did the right thing by Jacob. He and Annabella will be together as it always should have been. They can choose to stay in this life and have the life together they were always meant to have. As our ancestors want. That is all I have to say."

I wanted to laugh.

I had no problem losing any claim I had made on Annabella. I wanted it erased.

Isabella had come along and eclipsed any feelings I had ever felt for her twin.

What I had was real and reciprocated, not one sided and a complete waste of my life.

"I have every intention of freeing Annabella as soon as is humanly possible," I stated to the two Quileute men. "You can have her. But I need my Bella, Isabella, to be allowed to safely carry our baby therefore I need you to keep Annabella on the Res until September. Once the baby is born safe and sound, then of course she will have to know the truth.

Maybe she and Annabella will want to try and become friends, if not sisters.

Until then, I need Annabella to stay away. All I want from her is her continued absence.

Jake and Annabella both need time to recuperate and regain their strength so I don't see any reason for them to be anywhere but on the Res anyway.

Jacob, I never imagined I would say these words, but please take my wife and keep her safe. Keep her away from us, and do be happy together. Billy is right.

I should never have tried to come between you.

It was pointless and there always was a woman for me, the right woman, had I put known she was out there somewhere. I hope I have your co-operation with this."

Jacob stood shakily.

"You can't just wipe your hands of her. She is your wife. Your legal wife."

"And she will be amply compensated for that ," I assured him.

He sat down again.

No doubt the knowledge that his chosen partner came with a dowry of sorts would compensate for her personality, I thought to myself grimly.

"No, Edward. She's different with Jake. She's like another person. They should have always been together," Alice said quietly. "Edward, there are two. You didn't see the second one before but she is there."

xxxx

I/BPOV

I awoke from the best sleep I had managed in ages and immediately panicked when I opened my eyes.

Where was I?

Victoria was sitting by my bed and I remembered.

I rubbed my abdomen and felt the baby stir for the first time ever. So, it was still alive. Still safe inside me.

I relaxed again.

"So, Sleeping Beauty, you are awake?" a velvety voice said as Edward entered the room.

"I just felt the baby move. It was like a butterfly's wings inside me. Is it going to be okay?"

I asked him as he sat down beside me.

"It will be fine. Carlisle is going to insert a stitch in your cervix. It will be like putting a drawstring in the opening of a bag. It will keep it tightly closed, and you can resume your life as normal. But we need to do a scan, Bella. We need to know everything is okay with the baby."

I was about to give in an agree when I felt the fluttering again, further to the right.

"Edward, put your hand here, she is moving again."

He placed his hand where I indicated and smiled at me.

"I can't feel her yet but I'm glad you can. This procedure won't hurt her in any way and it will just be a precaution to make sure she is patient and stays inside until she is big enough to survive out here with us."

He leaned down and kissed the baby.

"I had the weirdest dream. Everyone was double. I was double, the baby was double, everywhere I looked, there were two identical copies. I was sitting in a meadow holding the baby and looking in a mirror, and then I realised it wasn't actually a mirror, just a wooden frame, and I was seeing another myself and another baby looking back at us. I think your father gave me drugs."

Edward smiled.

"Alice said something that only a scan can prove one way or the other," he said quietly. "How do you feel about twins? I think there may be two little girls inside you."

I laughed.

"Yes! I was so annoyed about her getting three in one go, and having more children than we have. Haha Alice. Try again. Can we go see them now?"

"Carlisle is bringing in the portable scanner, so just sit tight."

I was so excited at the thought of twins. I'd always thought Emma should have had a twin sister but if I was carrying twins this time, that could explain my dream. Except the whole 'two of me' part. Maybe with two newborns I would wish I could clone myself for an extra pair of hands.

Carlisle smiled warmly at me and his eyes looked strange...apologetic?

He assured me the 'little operation' would fix me and I watched as he slid the transducer over my belly.

"Edward, would you like to do this?"

Edward nodded and pointed at the screen.

Two little astronauts floated in the space inside me, their lifelines Y shaped, joined at first then divided into separate cords.

"Look Bella. Alice is right. Our daughter is bringing along her own playmate. And they share a placenta so you know what that means?"

"Identical twins?" I guessed. "Wow. I wonder where they came from. There aren't any twins in either family, are there?"

Edward just grinned.

xxxx

**Cheers for reviews, as I said my writing schedule is 'at work at lunchtime when I have no VIP's to babysit', and my uploading schedule is whenever I am on a train with free wi fi, until our internet gets given back to us at home.**


	10. Chapter 10

**NOTE..not only unedited, I haven't even done a read through so it may need editing. Cheers for all the girls names btw. I would have had to name the triplets T1 T2 and T3 if not for them.**

The Other Twin

Chapter 10

I/BPOV

For some reason Edward seemed to think because I was carrying twins that I should rarely leave the house, and when I did, he had to accompany me like some bodyguard. I could probably understand staying put if we lived right beside the hospital, but we were miles away, out near the forest, so why wasn't I allowed to wander around Forks few shops whenever I felt the urge?

They were closer to the hospital than this place was.

And forget the beach.

Despite the unusually warm sunny weather, he refused to even consider taking us to First Beach at all.

Emma loves the beach and his attitude was just unfair.

I didn't intend swimming; I was not stupid. I have heard of pregnant women being dumped by waves and landing on their bellies with tragic consequences. I just want to hold Emma's hand as she toddles along the shoreline and gets her feet wet.

And I'm so bored.

Rose is practically physically melded to the toilet, throwing up every eight seconds so she never visits.

Alice is enormous and can hardly make it to the bathroom alone so Jasper never leaves her side.

At least he has stopped trying to invade my brain. I care nothing for the past and since there is nothing I can do to change anything anyway, I have just had to let it all go. Honestly, Edward is so happy you would think our earlier life together never happened.

He has genuinely forgotten everything I ever did, and just smiles all the time, which is fine and dandy for him, but he gets to leave this prison and go be among people every shift.

I, on the other hand, am stuck here within these walls, with a bored toddler who is sick and tired of even Talky Bear.

Esme drops in so often I feel like locking the front door.

Like her son, all she does is smile at me all the time. She and Carlisle are creeping me out.

I am starting to think they had someone knock them on the heads so they have forgotten my past because suddenly I am 'the very best thing that ever happened to Edward'. Maybe they secretly drink a lot more than anyone knows.

Maybe Carlisle brings home free samples of some of the more powerful drugs.

Who knows?

God, if there was just ONE decent show on tv maybe I could distract myself.

Count your blessings, I tell myself.

The stitch took care of the weird pain and twinges, though I don't like thinking about that procedure at all. I expected to wake in agony afterwards but it was fine and as soon as I was up and walking, everything felt normal again.

No twinges or pressure.

No need to stay in bed.

NO NEED TO BE UNDER HOUSE ARREST, EDWARD!

Oh Thank God.

Emma is awake.

Even if she can barely speak at least she is another human being.

I change her diaper and she yawns and reflects my own facial expression back at me.

"Yes, I know. Tell me about it. This house is beginning to suck big time. If your Daddy would just be the tiniest bit reasonable, we would be down on the sand, making sand castles, and having a LIFE.

Once your sisters are born we will be tied down here anyway so why can't we have some fun before that?

It's just not fair.

Grampy Carlisle says your sisters are tucked up safe and sound, and there is no reason for me not to live a normal life, and normal lives include trips out of the house.

Dammit, Emma, we are sneaking out."

I dressed her in a sunfrock and a pair of footless leggings and packed a change of clothes plus a warmer outfit and her jacket just in case the sun deserted us, and grabbed some snacks from the kitchen.

I debated about taking my cell phone. It was bound to ring every half hour and I would have to lie to my husband about where I was, and the thought of lying to Edward didn't sit well with me.

But we need some sun.

Does he want his daughter to be vitamin D deficient? She needs some rays on her skin, and nobody ever gets to burn here. We should be so lucky.

I added a sunhat just in case Emma's pale skin couldn't cope with the exposure. She had probably never sunbathed in her life.

My phone rang.

"Hello, Edward," I said without bothering to check. "Yes, I am fine. Yes, Emma is fine. Yes, we are at home. Yes, we are having endless fun and not even the tiniest bit bored because it's such fun being stuck in the house 24/7. Do you think it would be possible for you to not call for long enough for us both to take a nap because that would be nice," I growled, ending the call.

His cheerful voice just irritated me today.

Why wouldn't he be cheerful? He had a life.

"Come on, kid, we are out of here."

xxxx

Emma kept jerking about in her carseat, waving her hands and feet around in glee at the joy of being outside. Even being restrained in her seat was clearly more fun than staying inside.

I unclipped her harness and carried her onto the sand and dumped our beach bag near an old dead tree that was bleached white by the sun and sea at high tide.

Emma took off at a run, straight along the beach parallel to the water, and I ran after her, laughing as she squealed in excitement.

"We're free, baby, free as the wind," I yelled as I scooped her up and kissed her sandy little toes.

I automatically checked my surroundings, ever aware Edward could have his mother stalking us just to make sure we never got out and had any fun, but poor Esme was sick with the flu this week so this was our only window.

I'd never appreciated a flu bug more.

Much as I like Esme, I never signed up to have her beside me every waking hour.

Emma squirmed and I put her down and let her run.

She stumbled a few times but never complained. Freedom was too heady to whinge about a simple fall. She immediately got up and ran again, as if afraid I was going to grab her and put her back in the car.

She ran for a few yards then turned and ran back before changing direction again. She was loving this but still she needed to know I was there close by.

The sun was dazzling, and I took off my denim jacket and tossed it down, leaving it lying there , then thought, what I need is less shoes on my feet. Hers were bare.

Mine should be as well.

I flopped down and pulled at the laces.

Emma suddenly stopped, and turned to look at me.

Oh, she had realised there was a lot of water out there and now she wanted to check it out.

She grinned and changed direction.

I jumped up, one foot still encased in a shoe, and ran after her, worried for a second that she may be too fast for me.

Out of nowhere a tall honey skinned man appeared, and he scooped my daughter up when she hit the edge of the water. She squealed in frustration and I caught up to them, laughing.

"Thanks. She hasn't been in the water here before. I think she would have just kept running until she went under."

"No problem," he replied, holding the child out to me.

I put her down and held her hand firmly, and let her paddle.

"So, are you new around here?" the man asked, picking up a shell and rinsing in in the shallows then handing it to Emma. It was too large for her to put inside her mouth, so I let her keep it.

She waved it at me with a grin.

"Sort of. I used to live here before then I went away and came back," I replied. I held out my spare hand.

"I'm Bella Cullen."

He looked me over and took my hand in his own much larger hand.

"Hi, Bella. I'm...Sam. Sam Uley."

"Nice to meet you, Sam," I replied, as Emma decided she liked the warm sand better than the cold water, and tried to drag me back onto the beach.

I sat down and pulled her between my knees and started scraping up sand into a pile which she slapped her own little starfish hands on and sent the dry sand flying about.

"You need damp sand for a sandcastle," Sam said and started building his own a few feet nearer the sea.

Emma watched him as he created a fairytale castle with his quick clever hands.

"Wow, that is cool," I stated.

"Years of practice," he replied. "I spent my childhood on this beach with my best friend. She loved me making fairy castles for her."

"Did she live here on the Res too?" I asked out of politeness. I wasn't used to having conversations with strange men but this one seemed nice. And we were in a public place.

"No, she lived in town. But her Dad and my Dad did a lot of fishing together so we played a lot. She looked a lot like this baby here when she was small."

Two other men were walking along with surfboards under their arms and Sam jumped up and walked towards them.

"Quil, Embry..catching a few waves? I just met some interesting people. Let me introduce you. As you know, I am **Sam Uley...**this is Bella Swan and Emma."

I wasn't sure I had told him her name but he probably heard me calling her earlier.

The two men looked a bit confused but they nodded and walked away, talking to one another and glancing back now and then.

"Do you have any children?" I asked.

"No. I want to. My , uh, girlfriend and I recently decided to start a family. We are hoping to have a couple of little ones one day."

"Do you want boys or girls?" I asked. I loved that Edward was thrilled to be having more girls but somewhere deep inside I longed for a little auburn haired boy with his green eyes. I hope he will want another baby some day when the girls are older.

Sam shrugged.

"Either will do. Boys might be easier. You can allow them more freedom. With girls you have to be a proper father. Look out for them. Keep the boys away from them."

"Yeah, that never works, does it?" I laughed.

He started picking up smaller shells and putting them onto the castle and Emma toddled closer and clapped her hands as she looked it over.

"Don't break it," I warned her but she seemed quite enchanted, and kept her hands to herself.

"She is a pretty little thing," Sam said. He seemed surprised. Maybe he just thought boys were better than girls. "She looks like both her parents. A real mix. I see she has a streak of red in her hair in the sun. Like her father's hair."

"You know Edward?" I asked. "Are you two friends?"

"Mmm. I know who he is. I would never call us friends," he said with a hollow laugh.

Another man with shiny black hair was approaching and Sam jumped up to head him off before he got to us.

I was getting the feeling he was keeping everyone away for some reason. Maybe we Cullens were not welcome here.

Edward and I had been here before and never encountered any of the Quileutes but today the sun appeared to have brought them out in droves. There were teenagers dotted along the sand; boys with boards, and girls in bikinis.

"Have you seen Emily and the kids?" the taller man asked Sam. "She said she was coming down this end of the beach and I can't find them."

Sam moved in closer and spoke so quietly I could not catch his reply but the other man looked at me for the first time and frowned before walking off in the direction Sam pointed. Further up the beach I saw a pair of black haired kids start to run towards this man, presumedly their father.

The woman with them sat up and called out.

"Sam, can you go home and get some dry towels. These are soaked."

I expected Sam to answer but the taller man did.

"Sam is a pretty common name here," this Sam explained.

A man in a wheelchair was coming along the wooden boardwalk behind where we sat and Sam jumped up.

"Bye, Bella, nice to meet you," he called as he ran away. He grabbed the handles of the chair and turned it back the way it had come.

"You should not be here, what are you thinking?" the man in the chair growled.

I shrugged.

Quileutes seemed kind of strange, going on this encounter, but whatever. There were no other pale skinned people on this stretch of beach so maybe I had crossed some invisible line and trespassed on their territory.

I snapped a couple of photos of Emma with the sandcastle and checked the time.

Yeah.

Probably should get back home before Edward called again, so I could reply honestly when he asked where I was.

Emma protested loudly at being strapped back into the car but I handed her the big shell Sam had given her so she gave up struggling.

We took a bath together, and then I fixed lunch.

We had barely sat down to eat when Edward appeared at the doorway, sending our daughter into shrieks of joy.

"Dadda, Dadda," she yelled reaching her arms out to him.

He picked her up and kissed her cheeks then sat down at the table with her on his lap, and handed her her lunch piece by piece.

"Can't stay away?" I asked as I prepared a sandwich for him as well.

"What can I say? I missed my girls," Edward replied.

xxxx

EPOV

Bella was clearly suffering from cabin fever so I took her to Port Angeles each week to shop for the coming twins, and let her choose the outrageously priced cribs and such that caught her eye.

She had different taste to my Mom and Rose, and everything was pretty, and even frillier than Emma's furniture.

"Look, this dress comes in pink with white, and white with pink, so the girls can dress alike, and there's a pink striped one in Emma's size so they will all look so cute together," Bella stated happily, adding the frocks to the stack we had already chosen.

These girls were going to out frill Alice's triplets.

Thinking of Alice, I had my hospital phone with me and sure enough, just as Bella and I finished up at the restaurant where we were eating lunch, it trilled.

"Dad? Cool. We will head right back."

I smiled at Bella.

"Alice is in labour. Carlisle is preparing to do a C section if necessary but if we hurry we may get back in time."

I picked up Emma and wiped her sticky fingers and called for the check.

Bella particularly wanted to witness the delivery, probably to get a heads up how ours may go in the future, so I was relieved we made it in time. I went to my office to hand Emma over to Victoria and helped Bella gown up.

Carlisle was doing the delivery in the OR just in case and just as we walked in, he announced the first baby was a transverse lie, so the operation was necessary.

I had opted to be an observer, just in case Bella passed out at the sight, but she didn't seem bothered at all by the blood and she was completely captivated as each of Jasper and Alice's little girls appeared.

The first was checked over and wrapped the handed to Jasper and he lay the baby beside Alice's head so she could see her firstborn.

The second was handed to Emmett, who grabbed on to the little pink blanketed bundle with such gentleness it looked kind of odd. He was so big and the baby so small, but he held it like it was made of delicate china. Rose looked really happy about someone else having a baby, for the first time ever. I was glad they would be parents as well, and Emmett would be the first in the group to get a son.

Girls were fine with me, but I had found a small stash of baby blue clothing Bella had hidden away so I guess she already knows she wants to try again in the future.

I will make sure we get to wait a few years yet, and that there are no unexpected surprises. She has many years yet to safely have another pregnancy.

I don't want her any more exhausted than she will be with three girls under two. Maybe I can convince her to delay the final baby until the girls are all at school.

Maybe pigs might fly.

The final baby was handed to Bella and she looked up at me tearfully, then walked over to show Alice and Jasper.

Three little pink bundles.

"We should open a ballet studio, with all these new girls in town, and your twins to come soon," Jasper laughed.

Everyone felt relief that all three babies were healthy and although tiny, they were as large as one could hope. None needed any special care, so we headed home to put Emma to bed for a nap, and lay side by side talking about the miracles we had just witnessed.

Bella was both thrilled and excited, but also freaking out a little at the thought she might need her babies delivered this way.

"The idea of having my belly cut open like that," she shivered.

"Twins have better odds of a vaginal delivery. Triplets kind of push your luck a little too much," I assured her. "Carlisle was being overly cautious because things can go wrong suddenly and often even if the first and second baby arrive safely, often the third misbehaves and the mother ends up with a c section as well."

"Ugh," Bella sighed. "You'd be sore all over. I hope ours both get delivered the same way at least."

"You will be having a c section if there's the slightest indication it may be necessary," I informed her. She was a first time mother with an incompetent cervix. Things could go either way. Carlisle may remove the stitch and find she goes into spontaneous labour, and we may get a normal delivery, but he will be there with a scalpel in his hand in case there is any problem at all.

No negotiations will be entered into.

Bella's safety is my utmost concern.

Of course I want this pregnancy to end with two live healthy babies, but she comes first. I cannot lose her.

I got up and went downstairs to make some tea, and almost tripped over one of Emma's toys. As I tossed it into the toy chest, I saw a large white shell inside and picked it up. There didn't seem to be any creature hidden inside so I put it back but wondered where it had come from.

If Esme has seen it, she will have boiled it to make sure it is clean enough for Emma to play with.

xxxx

Charlie and Sue continue to have us over for dinner once a week, but I can see the strain is starting to show. He never tells Bella any stories about when she, or rather, her twin sister, was small. He doesn't know what to say to her any more, now she is a stranger.

We chatter about the weather, the fishing, the game, the chance of him going a whole week without arresting anyone for speeding, and we avoid any personal talk.

He thinks we should tell my Bella now, but I need time. I need my Bella to be in a good place before I start shattering her world.

Obviously there is good news amongst the bad but it will still all be shocking for her.

We have convinced her that she lived a life she never really lived, and now we have to take that life back away from her, and replace it with what?

Nobody knows her real past.

Her existence began the day she came to Forks.

Before that, all we know is she was raised by her mother in Phoenix, there was no stepfather, and she had never had a serious boyfriend.

Most probably she had a Golden Retriever named Anna, but it is dead.

Maybe we will go to Phoenix one day and see if anything triggers her memory.

For now, she has the present and the best future I can give her.

That may be as good as it ever gets.

xxxx

I/BPOV

Visiting Alice and Jasper's house is fun, of course, but also it leaves me a little scared. Okay, we will have a toddler and only two newborns, but boy, I had not even considered the noise level we need to expect.

Sophie is the loudest but Maddie gives her a run for her money. Ashlyn is the quiet one so the one I always try to hold if I get a choice. They are all different in looks.

Sophie is small and dark like Alice. Ashlyn is fair with a hint of curl to her blonde locks already and has the same piercing light blue eyes that Jasper has.

Maddie is the rebel. She has very red hair which Edward says often turns up when a brunette and a blonde have a baby together.

I look at them all and wonder what our twins will look like.

Being identical, they will either both be auburn or both be brunettes.

I hope they are not too much like me when there are all those beautiful Edward genes in them.

Two Bella Cullens would just be too much, even mini versions.


	11. Chapter 11

The Other Twin

Chapter 11

Charlie Swan walked into the airport and stood with the other people waiting for the flight to disembark.

He had been surprised to hear from his old partner, Riley Biers, out of the blue and intrigued that the man wasn't willing to explain why he was coming to visit.

Something was up.

Riley had left the force and was working as a private investigator; had been for nearly ten years now, so what could he have to share with Charlie that was urgent enough to fly all this way ?

Passengers streamed out, and drivers holding up signs with the names of who they were there to meet stepped forward.

Riley was the last one through, and he greeted Charlie with a handshake.

"No, I just have my carry-on, I only plan to stay overnight," he replied when Charlie offered to go to the carousel and collect his baggage.

"What's up? I'm sure if it was the fishing you missed you would have been back here a lot sooner," Charlie stated.

"It's kind of personal. I came across something that might be of interest to you and wasn't sure if you wanted me to hand it over to the authorities, in the circumstances."

Charlie's interest level rose.

"Are we talking about something illegal here?"

"It's something you may wish to pretend never happened. I'm not a law officer any more, I don't feel compelled to report everything I find out by accident if it has nothing to do with the case I'm working on."

They agreed to postpone the conversation until they got to Charlie's house and Riley could show his old friend what he had found.

Charlie introduced Riley to Sue and then once lunch was served and consumed, he reminded her she had planned to go to Seth's school today to chat to the headmaster about Seth's progress in the Honesty Matters program the boy had been forced to attend.

Some other items had been disappearing from the classroom and while nobody had said out loud that Seth was the thief, everyone knew he was Number One suspect.

But they couldn't prove anything and in this age nobody was game to make any accusations they couldn't prove, so instead all the possible culprits were attending an after school course in the perils of dishonesty and where it could lead if not nipped in the bud while the boys were underage.

Next week was the tour of an actual prison, and if that didn't pull them into line well at least they would know their way around in the future when they ended up inside.

Sue excused herself and left the men to it.

Once the sound of her car engine faded into the distance, Charlie raised his eyebrows.

"Well? What's going on?"

Riley opened his bag and handed his companion a dvd.

"I was working surveillance for a client in a secure building, down on the ground floor parking level...usual story, husband suspected his wife was entertaining a 'friend' while he was out at work so as the only place any visitor could park and get inside unnoticed was the underground carpark, I set up my cameras.

When I was going through the footage later, I noticed this."

He fast forwarded the images and hit pause.

"This white car front and center is Romeo's vehicle, so I caught them out but while I was reviewing the tapes a week after the shit hit the fan and the case was concluded, I did a final viewing to make sure it was okay to record over the evidence. And I noticed this. That nice red car there," he said pointing at the righthand side of the screen," belonged to your, ah, I guess now one would call her your Baby Mama? Renee Higgenbotham. I read about her death in the car accident, and assumed the coroner had been right, death by misadventure. Driving too fast on a wet road. But this was filmed earlier that same day. Watch this space."

Charlie watched as a slight figure that could be a woman or a teenage boy maybe, dressed in black jeans and a jacket with a hood that hid their face mostly, approached the car, popped the hood and bent inside. After a few minutes the person straightened up, placed something small on the ground, then wiped their hands clean on a rag from the pocket of their hoodie; wrapped whatever had been on the ground inside the cloth and pocketed it . Then the car hood was closed and the person walked away.

But as she neared the left side of the image, she looked up in the direction of the hidden camera.

Charlie frowned.

He knew Riley assumed he recognised the girl, and assumed it was Annabella, but then, he didn't know what Charlie had only recently learned himself.

With her hair hidden away, this girl could actually be either Annabella or Isabella, in fact.

"When exactly was this taken?" he asked.

Riley pointed to the date at the bottom of the image.

Damn.

Annabella had been missing back then, and Isabella was not yet in Forks.

It could have been either one.

And he knew exactly what would happen if he questioned them both.

Isabella would not remember, and Annabella would deny it was her until the day she died.

"So, I mean, the whole thing is over and done with. Everyone accepts it was just an accident caused my Renee's lack of proper care and attention to the driving conditions but this suggests maybe someone fixed her brakes, or something.

What do you want to do?

I can leave the dvd with you, and forget about it, and we can go catch a few fish this evening. Tomorrow I'll be back on a plane home and we can call it a mini break where we just touched base with one another again, for old time's sake.

Or I can hand it over to someone in the Phoenix Police Department and they can do something official .

It's up to you. I will go along with whatever you decide."

Riley removed the disc from the player and offered it to Charlie.

Charlie took it from him, and walked over to his safe and locked the disc inside.

"No other copies, I trust?"

"Nope. The building depends on it's keypad locking and key card I.D, system; they don't have their own cctv."

"In that case, it's nice to see you, how about we take the boat out? I heard there are steelhead and salmon begging to be caught at the moment."

He carefully considered what his next step should be.

By the end of the night as they staggered inside after a few quiet drinks to console themselves for their lack of success in catching any fish at all, he had come to a decision.

Renee really was nothing to him, and never had been.

Sure, she had kept her part of the bargain and handed Annabella over to his family, but she had also kept Isabella's existence from him.

He didn't owe her anything.

She was dead and gone.

As far as he knew, Annabella knew little more than her biological mother's name, and Isabella seemed like the type of woman who would never do anything without a very good reason.

Renee had wronged the girls by keeping them apart and in ignorance of one another's existence.

Either girl could have found out the secret at some point and ruled it unforgivable.

Renee had brought this on herself.

It was Swan/Cullen family business, nothing more.

Edward Cullen was the only person who needed to see that footage, and whatever he decided to do with it was okay with Charlie.

It could be Edward's headache.

xxxx

I/BPOV

"Thank you," I said, signing for the letter and tipping the delivery boy.

Aha. An official looking envelope with Private and Confidential on the top, addressed to Mr Edward Anthony Cullen.

None of my business.

I held it up to the light to check for...okay, to see if I could see through the envelope.

Nope.

Darn.

A mystery letter.

I could hold it over the steam from the kettle and open it, see what's inside, then seal it shut again and Edward would never know.

I almost followed through but the paper began to buckle as the steam hit it and I sighed and dropped it onto the benchtop.

What could it be?

I set the small electric fan going to dry the envelope and went upstairs to fetch Emma. I could hear her babbling in her crib.

Naptime was over.

She grinned and hauled herself up to a standing position and I reached to lift her.

"No Mamma," she babbled in delight.

Fine.

I guess I shall go through life with that title.

She says it in a happy and friendly way, so I guess she just prefers me to be 'No Mamma'.

I changed her and dressed her in a warm top, glancing outside the window again. Nope. The rain was staying.

No sunshine, no games on the beach for us today.

Drat.

I picked her up and she put her chubby little arms around my neck and kissed my cheek with her damp little mouth.

"Lub No Mumma," she chanted, snuggling against my chest.

I felt my eyes tear up.

"I love you, baby Emma," I replied, kissing her hair.

Every day she looked more and more like me. Sadly her hair was losing all the auburn and turning quite brown.

Oh well, Edward said he prefers brunettes.

Even her eyes have changed and look much more like mine than his.

It's as if she has adapted like a chameleon to look like the person she spends the most time with.

Maybe the twins will be all Edwardlike.

Last night I had a dream that they had been born and Carlisle delivered them fully dressed, both wearing pink frilly frocks but when I changed their diapers, they were both boys.

I told Edward and he pressed me again to go for the 3D scan that will tell us their gender without any doubt. The lesser scan I had indicated a 60% chance they were girls but Carlisle says basically that means they couldn't tell and really have no idea.

But I have always thought they were girls. Wouldn't a mother know?

Esme says not.

She says she thought Emmet was a boy but only because he was enormous. She was a little afraid he might be some humongous girl, so she just hoped he was male for his own sake.

With Edward she was 99% sure it was a girl.

He was smaller and less active and she had no morning sickness which her Mom told her meant a girl, and she had been really ill with Emmett. And her bump was smaller and rounded where it had been more prominent and pear shaped the first time.

Even the wedding ring held over her belly suspended on one of her hairs spun in circles.

All the signs said a girl..

But no.

My Edward was all male.

Maybe I should just find out for sure before the whole nursery is too feminine to put boys in.

I wonder how Edward would like sons. He says girls are fine with him, but surely he must want to keep the Cullen name going. Okay, Emmett is having a son but that's just one Cullen.

I want one as well.

I kind of wish I was carrying one of each but that isn't possible. They are definitely identical, so they are two of a kind.

I drive to the baby shop and try not to get soaked to the skin as I get Emma out of her seat and we race inside.

Maybe I should stock up on blue as well. I'd hate anyone to think I didn't want a boy when in reality, if I could choose, I would prefer sons.

Emma is already perfect.

Sometimes I worry in case her sisters are prettier, or else plainer, than she is. Someone has to be the more beautiful. Having never had any sisters, I had never had to worry but last week at First Beach I met Samson's sisters, Rachel and Rebecca.

He's changed his name to Samson to differentiate between himself and Emily's husband lately.

His friends explained to me why the new name is fitting.

Anyway, his sisters are non identical twins and Rebecca is way more beautiful.

Rachel knows it, and I watched her looking at her sister as they ran along the beach; Rebecca attracting the eye of almost every male there while Rachel was completely overlooked.

She's got the nicer personality but men never seem to notice.

Nope, it's who has the bigger boobs and prettier face for them.

Such a shame because they are not giving Rachel a chance while her sister is around.

They are going off to separate colleges soon, and I hope some intelligent male falls for Rachel.

She would be the faithful wife and loving mother, I bet, whereas Rebecca already plays on her looks and is a 'good time girl'. I can't imagine her settling down and raising kids.

Rachel adores Emma but Samson is such a pain. He hogs the child, and never lets anyone else play with her.

He's like some type of celebrity bodyguard.

Obviously I keep my eyes wide open but I truly believe he is not perverted; not one of those disgusting men who prefer little girls to grown women. He just seems besotted with Emma in a fatherly way almost.

I have seen him eyeing off some of the girls there and I heard Embry tell Quil that their friend had been with almost all the girls who were sitting together in a group around a bonfire further down the beach, then Quil said no, he was wrong, Samson had been with every single one of them. Then he went on to reveal when each incident occurred, so, yeah, Samson is into big girls.

EPOV

Bella seemed subdued tonight and as I scrutinised her face, I was sure I detected a hint of redness, but it wasn't the usual blush that often suffused her skin gently with a pretty shade of pink, it was more like the very slightest sunburn.

Add that to the sand on the floor inside the garage, and there was only one conclusion.

She had been leaving the house and taking Emma to the beach while I am at work.

About twice a week, I've found beach towels amongst the dirty laundry, and there are a dozen shells in the toybox now.

When I bathe Emma of an afternoon, she refuses to sit down and prefers to stand up, kicking up the water with one foot and clapping her hands.

Just as she would if she were re-enacting a paddle at the beach.

And today Billy Black called and told me to keep 'my woman' under control if I expected them to keep the secret.

I settled Emma into her crib and wondered what approach to take. I can hardly accuse her of keeping these normally harmless outings a secret when I am not telling her the truth either.

"So, how was your day? Were you too bored?" I asked as I slid into bed beside her.

She sat there, sliding her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them.

"You know, don't you? Edward, I just wanted to get outside while the sun had not forgotten it doesn't usually live here, and meet some new people outside of your family. I don't remember any of my friends, you know.

Sometimes I want to meet up with people who don't have Cullen as their surname."

"Have you made new friends?" I asked.

"Sure. There are some really nice people living on the Res. Sam and Emily, and their kids. And three young guys, Samson, Embry and Quil. Samson knows you but says you two aren't friends. Is that true?"

I frowned.

"I have never met Sam Uley or his wife. I know they are friends with Billy Black and his son.

What does this Samson look like?"

"He's tall, and has sort of longish hair, though he must have had it cut sometime because I have heard Quil say he lost his good looks when he had his hair cut, and lost his strength like Samson did. In fact, I think they call him Samson for that reason. He has a tattoo on his arm, it has 'J.B loves A.S' in a heart so he is either a J or an A name really."

"His name is Jacob Black," I replied, taking her hand into my own. "Jacob Black loves Annabella Swan."

"Seriously? **He **is Jacob? Huh. Well, I guess he has lost the ability to cast his spell on me now. I actually like Sam and Emily more than I like him."

"What do you two talk about?" I asked , hoping she would not hear the fear in my voice.

"Mainly about Emma. He's kind of obsessed with her. At first when he told me he and his girlfriend planned to have kids and he hoped for boys, I assumed he didn't like little girls but Emma has stolen his heart. He adores her.

Edward, truly, he barely speaks to me.

Once he starts building sandcastles with Emma, it's like I don't exist.

I talk to his friends much more. I hope you don't think there is anything going on."

"Bella, I trust you completely. Although I would prefer you didn't take Emma back there again without me. We can go to another beach together as a family. Ruby Beach is really pretty.

And you can invite Sam and Emily and their kids over anytime you want to for dinner or whatever, so long as I'm home."

"I swear I had no idea that was Jacob," she repeated.

"I believe you. But I know he knows who you are."

"This is weird. I won't go back, though I would like to see Emily sometimes. Maybe she could bring her kids here for a playdate with Emma."

Bella lay there in silence so long I thought she was asleep.

Then I wondered why she was sick of my family already.

Everyone was being so welcoming to her now. I'd have understood if she'd not liked them before, when they all treated her with skepticism and in Rose's case, outright dislike.

I thought everyone was friends now.

"What's wrong with the Cullen family?" I enquired.

"Your parents are giving me whiplash. One minute I was that woman they didn't trust and kept looking at as if they were waiting for me to sneak my boyfriend in the window or something, then bam, I'm the perfect daughter-in-law.

It's too weird.

I even tried to apologise to your mother for the bad things I did to you before and she said "Let's pretend they never happened, and go on from there, Dear. Let's pretend the day Tyler almost hit you was the first time you and Edward met.'

I mean, I know when you are older and wiser you learn to let go of the small stuff, but really?

I cheated on you, I used you time and again, I was a complete bitch and ignored my baby girl completely, but that's okay. We can overlook those little tiny flaws.

Let's all pretend Edward never cried his heart out because of me, and was forced to be both parents for the first six months of Emma's life and not to mention whatever I said when she was born...you know, the words everyone is banned from telling me.

Doctors don't know everything.

If the first words our daughter heard me say were that I wished she hadn't been born, or I wish I'd had an abortion, how do you know she isn't permanently damaged inside? How can you know she won't turn to drugs or drink when she is a teenager because she remembers at some level that her mother didn't want her?"

"Bella, I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"I need you to stay calm and hear me out."

"Okay. What is it? You are scaring me."

"Bella, firstly, you are Bella Swan, but you are not Annabella Swan."

"Huh? I know I have 'pregnant brain disease' but I'm not following."

"Okay. Once upon a time, Charlie Swan met and bedded Renee Higginbotham. She conceived.

She couldn't provide a home for the baby so she agreed to hand it over to Charlie and the Swan family at birth.

She did do that, and Annabella Kate grew up in Forks.

But, hours after Annabella's birth, a second undetected twin arrived. She was identical to her sister and by now Renee regretted the whole deal so she kept the second twin. Isabella.

One day Renee was killed in a car accident and her daughter was all alone so she came looking for her father, whose name was on the birth certificate. But before she found him, she was almost hit by a car and she bumped her head and lost her memory.

Because she woke up in Forks Hospital, and looked like Annabella, everyone assumed that was who she was.

The real Annabella had run off with Jacob Black, her lover.

Nobody, not even Charlie, suspected there was a second twin, so we took it at face value.

Annabella was back.

The Cullen family descended, claimed the girl who was actually Isabella as their own and here you are."

Bella sat frozen. Her face paled. Finally she spoke.

"I am Isabella? You know, that name feels right. Isabella Marie? I have seen those initials on that wall where I painted the pretend bedhead. I.M."

"Yes. Are you okay?"

Bella started rubbing her legs, her head bowed but I saw the tears falling.

"So, Emma is not my daughter."

Great. I had hoped she would go with 'so I never cheated on you, I never did those horrible things; I never disowned my baby girl at birth'.

"Emma is your daughter in every way that counts. She loves you, not her biological mother. Annabella has never had the slightest interest in her. In fact, I've filed for divorce."

"Oh," she said suddenly, straightening up and wiping away her tears. "A letter arrived for you today. Maybe you are divorced already."

She opened her drawer and handed me an envelope. It looked like Emma had dunked it in something then it had dried out. Maybe it got caught in the rain.

I slid it open.

"No."

Bella took the letter from me.

She read the same words I had and slowly refolded the paper.

"Your wife wants custody of Emma," she said dully.

"That will never happen," I growled.

xxxx


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, as much as I enjoy writing this I literally have run out of time. I have week left to pack the upstairs of our house, find an apartment to rent, arrange transport, organise my 19 year old daughter to move in with us until she finishes college (she has one year to go until she is finished, she did drama and creative writing and her stories are amazing, she can actually write good stuff, we are moving so she can stop living with a bunch of males, 2 are her older brothers, she wants to live with 'human beings' again,lol).**

**Tomorrow I quit my job (YAY) and concentrate on getting my pre course work finished, so this chapter will wrap it up. Cheers for reading it and may Edward kiss everyone of you who reviewed. Epi to follow.**

The Other Twin

Chapter 12

EPOV

"It's not Annabella who wants Emma, it's Jacob!" I yelled, slamming my fist down on the surface of the table. Carlisle grimaced and Emmett bristled.

"Say the word, bro, and that fucker is toast. Rose may not be available but I could snap his neck with one hand tied behind my back."

"Violence is never the solution," Jasper stated.

"I thought he just wanted her to bring in a shitload of cash for the two of them to pay for their happy ever after," Emmett growled.

"I offered her half of everything. I offered to sign the house over to them, and to pay for whatever they wanted. I made it clear I didn't expect them to settle for only half, so to name their figure.

Jake said they only needed enough to build a simple house on the Res, and apart from that, all they want is Emma. Full custody."

"I can't see how any judge would decide in their favour," Carlisle said.

"Well, it seems Annabella has been seeing a whole herd of health professionals and they are all willing to testify that she was suffering from post natal depression when she walked away from her child. They have accused me of not getting the right help for her at the time.

They are saying I took advantage of her condition and suggested she end it all. She told them I told her to jump off that cliff! And Jacob has sworn that he didn't jump with her; oh no, he jumped after her. To save her.

Okay, I agree it's sad they can't have kids together because of her injuries but they are the ones who jumped.

It's hardly my fault she can't get pregnant again, and so he wants the only child she will ever have. He thinks he can steal my family from me.

Isn't it enough that I handed him my legal wife on a plate?

She is claiming I knowingly replaced her while she was unconscious lying on what may well have been her deathbed, with her twin sister.

She says Isabella alienated me from her, and took advantage of her comatose state.

Two can play at this game.

I can swear he stole my wife's affection from me and came between us.

I should do that, but I won't, because it isn't the truth.

I've never loved and wanted Annabella a tenth as much as Isabella.

That baby is more Isabella's than anyone else's now, you all know that. This would kill her."

Carlisle swore under his breath and picked up his phone which was vibrating along the table top.

"Yes? Dr Carlisle Cullen speaking."

He stood up suddenly.

"We will be right there. Try and stabilise her James, we need to stop the contractions."

I knew by his eyes it was my Bella.

We ran for the car, and I prayed that James would manage to get everything under control before we arrived.

Of course the universe ignored me.

My Bella lay on the operating table, her face as pale as the white sheets draped across her body.

Carlisle was madly scrubbing up, but I knew James would be just as competent to assist as I would be, and anyway, my place was beside Bella.

I took her hand in my own and kissed her frightened face.

"It will be okay. This is just a precaution in case they can't stop the labour. Chances are you will stop contracting and Dad will kick you out of here before nightfall."

My father hurried to the end of the table and took one look before giving me our signal.

Her water had not broken.

If it did, Carlisle would have no choice other than to remove the stitch from her cervix and let the labour proceed.

Victoria hurried from the room, and I knew that meant she was phoning for a medical helicopter to be dispatched from Seattle General. Hopefully it would arrive and get Bella there before she gave birth.

Seconds count in this type of delivery.

Twins this premature are much better off inside their mother as long as possible. Their chances of survival will increase if they get to the Specialist Neonatal Unit the second they are delivered.

If they are born here and transported, their future is unlikely to be very long.

Even if the babies are born alive, they would need special care, and would spend their first weeks or months in plastic bubbles, fighting to survive.

Even with all this going on, a part of my brain was ranting at my wife, hating her for causing this. My Bella had been coping with the pregnancy amazingly well before I'd been forced to tell her the truth, and before she read that accursed letter.

This was happening directly as a result of the stress and strain, and the upset at being told Emma was not her baby.

And that the lying scumbag and my evil wife want custody.

If anything happens to my Bella and the babies, I will break her neck, and Jacob's, myself.

I may spend the rest of my life in prison, but they will never get their hands on Emma.

Carlisle administered pain relief and sedation and continuously checked her vitals.

Time both dragged and flashed by.

The only true measure was the hands on the clock.

Finally he smiled.

"Okay, that's been twenty minutes with no contractions. I think we may have halted things. Victoria, let Seattle know we need them on standby but for the moment all seems well."

Bella had various wires attached to her body and machines were pinging as they kept a record of every breath she took, every beat of her heart and of the twins hearts, and every tremor that had shaken her body.

That line was calm .

The babies heartbeats echoed in the room, strong and even, and bore no sign of stress now.

The crisis had passed.

"I think we will keep you in this room for the immediate future, just to be on the safe side," Dad announced.

Bella lay still, petrified to move and groggy from the drugs.

Her heartbeat had slowed back to normal and as I watched her eyes flicker shut, I knew she was mercifully asleep.

I stood and beckoned my father to follow me outside.

"How confident are you that this was a false alarm?" I asked him.

"She was very stressed when Rose brought her in. James took immediate action and I think he managed to stop things before they got too far. The recordings show the contractions were not that strong and they hadn't affected her cervix at all. Without the cerclage, it may have been a different story. But there's no point buying trouble. She is fine for now. You should rest while you can."

Easy to say but hard to do.

Night fell and my Bella slept on.

By morning it was clear we had won this round at least, and there was no sign of labour beginning at all.

She was moved to a private room, and I showered and changed into scrubs rather than leave her side.

Esme brought me meals and looked after Emma, and slowly my own heart managed to regain it's proper rhythm again. I had never been so afraid before in my life.

Carlisle kept Bella semi sedated so she was in and out of twilight sleep, but rest was good.

Her body was coping with enough already, so I chatted to her without expecting answers, and she managed a smile now and again, before slipping away to snore gently.

In the middle of the night, most nights, she would start to become agitated as the drugs wore off, and James or Carlisle would have to administer more before any damage happened.

I sat there listening to her cries as she begged the universe not to take away any of her babies, not Emma, not the twins. She needed all three.

Dad decided on Day Six to do a proper 3D scan with or without Bella's permission and he and I scrutinised the two growing babies.

He was administering drugs intravenously to strengthen their lungs in case a premature delivery became inevitable but so far all looked good.

My sons looked perfect.

Bella was awake enough to see for herself that both were boys but she seemed happy at the disclosure.

I was, because there was no way in Hell she was ever having another pregnancy, not while I lived and breathed.

We had Emma and we would have two boys so there was nothing left to have.

The fact Bella was not my daughter's biological parent was irrelevant. She was Emma's mother in all our hearts.

I was finally calm enough to actually leave the hospital for brief spells and during one trip home to sleep, shower, and eat whatever Rose had left for me, I listened to our missed calls, and deleted them all before calling Charlie back.

Everyone else just wanted a progress report. Esme could field them for me.

Charlie asked after his daughter and was relieved to know Isabella and the babies were okay but he felt it could be important enough for us to meet, even in these circumstances so I promised to call by his house on the way back to the hospital.

I pulled into his driveway and he opened the front door before I even got out of my car.

"What's up, Charlie?" I asked as I walked up the path.

"There is something you need to see. I've watched it a thousand times and I swear, I cannot tell which one it is."

He indicated I should sit, and I faced the flat screen and waited as he explained what I would be seeing, and where he got the dvd from.

"Riley Biers knew Renee back in High School. He dated her for a while, so he recognised her the moment he saw her again in earlier surveillance footage he took before he solved the case, and because he solved the case with this footage, there are no further recordings after this.

There," he said, freezing the frame of the girl's face. "Is it Annabella or Isabella? They are too alike to tell."

I scrutinized the image.

Unfortunately the look on the girl's face was rather bland, and not one of the typical expressions either twin exhibited. I couldn't call it.

My gut said it was my legal wife. God knows she could be impulsive. I could not ever imagine any scenario where my Bella would do anything like this.

Besides, what could Renee have done to evoke this kind of reaction from her?

Charlie sat down beside me and handed me a photocopy of a police report for a fatal car accident.

Renee had been clocked speeding, not a lot over the speed limit but enough to cop a hefty fine.

The roads were wet, unusually so for Phoenix, so she would not be used to driving in those conditions.

Her blood alcohol limit was below the legal limit, but she had definitely indulged in a drink or two in the hours before she drove.

All in all, this accident could have easily occurred just as the coroner had ruled.

What had her daughter removed from the engine and what effect had it had? Had it altered the probable outcome?

Nothing could change the fact that Renee was dead, but of course I wanted to know for absolute sure that Annabella was the perpetrator.

Charlie replayed the recording and I watched again.

The girl walked to the car, opened the hood, removed something, placed it on the ground, cleaned her hands...

Maybe.

Just maybe...

"I am taking this to Emmett. He did IT as his major first time round in college before he changed his mind and trained to be a vet. I wonder if he could enhance these images. At least show us what she removed. Maybe it's nothing important. Were the remains of the car examined?"

"No. You know how it is. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, there's no need to waste any of the budget searching for evidence that it's really a goose. It seemed clear cut. An accident caused by driver error. We can leave it as it is and forget this dvd and I can smash it if you agree. I'm never going to tell anyone."

"I really want to know, although I don't see any point in pushing for the perp to be punished in the circumstances.

If it's my Bella we may never know because she may never remember. If it's Annabella, I don't think she will ever admit it."

"Agreed. What's done is done. Well, Edward. Here you are. Take it. Do with it what you will. I hope you can prove it isn't your Bella. I mean that. But she is an unknown quantity. We have no clue as to how Renee treated her.

Maybe she beat her as a child. Carlisle showed me her x-rays after the accident and I saw all those old healed fractures. Maybe she hated her mother enough to do something to end the abuse. Who knows?"

I called Emmett and he was waiting to take charge of the dvd when I got to his house.

He promised to do what he could, and get back to me, and I went back to my Bella.

xxxx

It was two days before Emmett had anything then he called me. I went to his house with my heart in my throat and sat down in front of his vast display of highly technical equipment.

"Okay. The only difference between the two ...hair length, which we can't see; mannerisms, which are not shown, and physical scars. Annabella has that faint mark on her wrist.

So, I went through the images until where she cleaned her hands. Look. Her sleeve is pulled back slightly. What do you see?"

xxxx

I/BPOV

If I thought I'd been bored before, I had no idea.

Day after day, week after week, flat on my back in bed.

Not even bathroom breaks.

I banish Edward from the room every time that piece of embarrassment becomes a necessity.

At first I could hardly look Victoria in the eye after she had assisted me with my bodily functions but she put me at ease, telling me this was what her job was all about, most of the time.

No wonder she spent her breaks chatting up every single doctor who walked in.

And I stopped judging her sex life, of which she had shared every detail.

I think if I'd spent my working hours doing what she had to do, a few hours in a stranger's bed might suddenly appeal.

Anyway, she was making progress with Dr James, so I wished her well.

He seemed pretty keen, and she told me they'd hooked up a few times and he kept suggesting drinks together after work, but now he'd actually invited her to dinner.

Major progress.

She even brought in three dresses for me to choose from for her to wear.

One was frankly slutty, but do men really ever hold that against a woman? Most of them seem to enjoy seeing as much naked flesh as they can.

The second was much more modest and subdued, but I just didn't see it as 'her'.

The third was beautiful. Bright red that somehow worked with her gorgeous red hair; long but with a side split, and low enough at the neckline to showcase her bust.

"Perfect," I announced.

We discussed shoes and handbags and hairstyles and I wished Rosalie or Alice would drop in and help. They knew far more than I did about fashion and coordination.

Victoria rushed off after shift to shower and dress and came back to show me the full effect.

The gold sandals looked great and her hair was piled messily on top of her head.

"You look amazing," I said truthfully.

Edward walked in and looked a little taken aback.

"Yeah, I must look good if he noticed me," she chuckled.

"Tell her she looks good," I ordered Edward.

"Victoria, if I wasn't already taken, I'd be proud to have you on my arm," Edward said.

"Take it easy; I said tell her she looks good. Don't make me jealous," I giggled.

"You, my Bella outshine even the stars in the sky," he replied, sitting down on my bed and kissing me.

Victoria sighed.

"I curse your mother for not having more of you Cullen boys. That damned brother of yours is nearly as good looking as you, then she created an upgraded model the second time, so why did she stop? She could have kept going and spawned a dozen gorgeous creatures for us women to fight over."

"Take it up with my parents," Edward suggested, leaving the bed to usher her out the door and close it behind her.

He stretched out beside me and kissed my cheek.

"I have news. Good news."

"I could handle some good news," I replied, stroking his back as he gingerly embraced us.

"You will be pleased to know your sister has withdrawn her application for custody and signed away her parental rights. I should have had her do that from the start but idiot that I was, I hoped at the time she would get better, and stay.

Anyway, the divorce is going ahead and I'm settling more money on her than she and Jake could make in a lifetime, on the agreement they go live far away.

Billy actually agrees with me. He has urged them to marry as soon as possible. They will have to come to terms with finding a way for Jacob to father an heir.

Maybe one of the many girls he has shagged in the past will be willing to carry a kid for them.

As he is the son of the Chief, it's important to carry on the line.

I offered her a bonus for every kid they raise no matter where it comes from."

"Why?"

"Because I want her to have kids of her own. I want her to never contact Emma again, even when our daughter turns eighteen.

I want her life to be so busy with so many little black haired kids she forgets she ever had a child to me.

I already gave her a bonus... the exact amount a surrogate would charge to carry a child. That's what she was. Just a surrogate. Just a way to get Emma here for us."

"I'm sad for her to not know what a joy Emma is, but it is probably for the best."

"It is. Before you know it we will have our boys and you will forget you ever found out that Emma wasn't your firstborn. She always will be, in every way that matters. I know you love her like your own. Now, what are we naming our sons and I already refuse to consider naming either one Edward Junior so forget that."

"I wasn't even considering it anyway," I lied. "Like I'd name a sweet little newborn after you."

"Good, we are agreed then. Do you want to draw straws about who names the firstborn or are you happy with us both choosing a name and letting Emma decide which baby gets which?"

"Sounds fair," I agreed.

'Okay, tell me yours and I'll tell you mine."

"Okay, if I can't have Edward, then my second choice is Ebeneezer," I lied again.

"Cool. Because mine is Egbert," he replied. "One 'g'."

"Adorable. Though you know there will be a room full of Ebenezers and Egberts. Those names are so common.

Maybe we should put some more thought into it."

"Bella, they are perfectly cool names," he mumbled as he relaxed in my arms, and fell asleep.

xxxx

A long week later, Carlisle discharged me, and I returned to my earlier prison.

Edward took leave so he could wait on me night and day, and Emma and I spent many hours thinking up chores we wanted him to do.

If I had to suffer, so did he.

My waistline was so large I banned both Drs Cullen from announcing it out loud when they measured it.

I didn't want to know.

I'd rather liked my slim waist and I wondered if I would ever get to see it again?

Finally the twins matured and grew large enough to be able to be delivered.

Carlisle removed the stitch at thirty six weeks and ten days later, our sons entered the world with a twenty minute interval between.

I had enough drugs to not feel a thing, so I coped really well. Carlisle had insisted on an epidural from the moment I was admitted in case he had to cut them out.

We were lucky.

They obeyed the rules and both came out head first, with no dramas.

They breathed spontaneously and weighed in at five and a half pounds apiece.

"Okay, here's your form," Edward said, handing me one of the birth registration papers once I was in my room and our sons had been bathed and dressed..

"E,G,B,E,R,T," he spelled out loud as he wrote in his name choice.

"E,B,E,Neezer," I said back.

Victoria came in and helped me prop myself up.

"So, are we feeding them both at once? It looks hard but if you can handle it, it will be the best way. Otherwise you will have your boobs exposed 24/7."

"What's the problem with that?" Edward asked.

"Because she won't be exposing them for you to gawk at, Dr Cullen," she replied.

xxxxx


	13. Chapter 13

The Other Twin

Epilogue

EPOV

Life rarely turns out as you expect it will.

Thanks to Isabella, my life turned out far better than I ever dared hope.

My doomed battle to win her sister could have been the only 'relationship' I ever experienced, if she hadn't stumbled into our lives.

Back then I'd had no idea how to let go, or how to move on, and if my Bella had not found me, I'd probably be some recluse living alone in the wilderness, remembering a distorted but enhanced image of Annabella, mourning her disappearance from my life until the day I died.

I shudder at the knowledge had Isabella never existed, maybe I would have kept taking Annabella back, only to lose her to Jacob over and over until one of us jumped off Dead Man's Bluff in the dead of night, to ensure nobody saved us.

It would probably have been me.

No, I would never desert Emma.

She still needs me even though she is eighteen now.

Eighteen.

A legal adult.

Free to do whatever she chooses.

She has chosen college so soon the noise and weirdly pierced people she hangs with will no longer come here any more and in a weird way, I will miss them and their chaos.

Some nights when she has her music on at full blast, and her friends with the black lipsticked lips and unnaturally coloured hair outstay their welcome and my tolerance level, I wonder how such a sweet little princess ever evolved into this strange looking but confident girl who never lets anyone else's opinion interfere with her life.

She raises my blood pressure regularly by introducing us to the latest weirdo she is dating. Even if I like them, they never last long. She likes playing the field, and keeping her freedom for a few more years yet.

Emma is a strong independent female who knows what she wants and whoever she ends up with in the end, I will know for sure he will be her choice and hers alone.

She won't take any crap from him, and I like that.

Maybe one day she will want to meet Annabella properly and try to get to know her, but I doubt it. She loves the family she has, and loves my Bella in particular. They forever have their heads together, planning Emma's future, marking the dates my wife will be going to visit the off campus share house where Emma will live. They have decided Bella will stay over for a weekend each month so they don't let their bond weaken.

Our sons have been easy; too easy, I fear.

I am always waiting for one of them to announce he's knocked up his sixteen year old girlfriend, or he's dropping out and backpacking through a warzone, but Bella laughs at my fears and tells me whatever happens will happen whether I worry or not.

And I look at Charlotte, our little afterthought, and thank God my second wife took no notice of me when I banned further pregnancies.

She wanted another daughter and of course, that was what she got.

I suppose she deserved to experience a simple, straight forward pregnancy with a single fetus.

She wanted some normal in her life.

Naturally Charlotte has us both wrapped around her little finger, and her grandparents think she is God's Gift. We named her for Charlie, seeing Emmett and Rose named their son after Carlisle.

Charlie is sad sometimes that he never did get any natural grandchildren from Jacob and Annabella but in my heart I know that was for the best.

I know she has always blamed Renee for ruining her life by giving her away.

I don't know however if she knows she did the right thing leaving her own daughter here to be raised by us.

Emma is aware that she was carried by my first wife but she accepts that my Bella is her mother, though she never did call her Momma until her little brothers Edward and Elliott started to babble, and she decided she wanted to be first to claim ownership, and dropped the "no Mamma" crap.

Who knows?  
Maybe on some level she knew what took us so many months to figure out.

That my Bella was not Annabella.

Except for that faded scar on Annabella's wrist, the two looked so much the same.

I still wonder if it was the scar that Emmett and I think we saw on the footage, or whether it was just a trick of the light; maybe a shadow of the pushed up sleeve?

I guess we will never know the truth for sure.

Annabella withdrew her custody application willingly enough after I told her I knew what she did; I knew her secret; but then, she never really wanted Emma anyway.

I didn't go into detail or even mention Renee and the car; I just watched her eyes flash and handed her the papers to sign. A woman like her probably has many secrets she would rather nobody knew.

Maybe she just agreed to shed the child she had always seen as a burden once again, forever.

All I know is, if that was my Bella in the footage then she had a very good reason to do what she did. It has never altered by trust or my love for her.

She has made an imperfect man's completely fucked up life perfect, and given him the children he longed for and would die to protect.

In return I gave her my trust, my heart, my soul and my children.

I also gave her our song. Well, part of a song. The other versus were wrong so I edited it.

I sang it to her at our wedding, but only the parts that fit us.

"You're in my heart, you're in my soul  
You'll be my breath should I grow old  
You are my lover, you're my best friend  
You're in my soul

My love for you is immeasurable  
My respect for you immense  
You're ageless, timeless, lace and fineness  
You're beauty and elegance

You're a rhapsody, a comedy  
You're a symphony and a play  
You're every love song ever written  
But honey what do you see in me?

You're in my heart, you're in my soul  
You'll be my breath should I grow old  
You are my lover, you're my best friend  
You're in my soul..."

I will love her to the day we are parted by death and if she goes first, I always have Dead Man's Bluff as an option, because I would not want to even try to live without her.

We both love our children but they will grow up and have their own lives, and even when they all leave home, we will still have each other.

In fact, I look forward to that day, because we have never experienced what it is like, to be just us alone, just Edward and his Bella.

xxxx

I/BPOV

I woke up with a gasp.

Another dream.

Another glimpse of the past.

Over the years I've been catching up on all that I had forgotten, at least, I assume that's what I'm seeing.

Last night was all about the day Mom and I went to the breeder's house and chose

Anna, the puppy. I wanted to name her Deefa, that was all the rage at the time; Deefa Dog, but Mom insisted this dog had the same eyes as someone she once knew; someone named Anna.

Now I know she named the pup after my sister.

Sadly Annabella and I have never bonded or become friends.

She and Jake travel a lot, on Edward's dime, but he likes it that they are far, far away and one day they will spend all of the divorce settlement and be broke and hopefully, unable to ever return here.

For us, money will never be an issue.

Even Esme was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, so money will never be an issue.

She owns her own island, for Heaven's sake.

Edward and I went there for our delayed honeymoon when the twins were two years old, and I managed to come home with a baby on board.

My little much planned 'accident'.

Edward was fine once he got over the fear it might be twins again, but it wasn't, and everything worked out for the best.

Charlotte is the bonus baby of the family and everyone adores her.

Her middle name is Renee, after my Mom.

The more I remember, the more I miss my Mom.

She may have been scatterbrained and erratic and always did everything on impulse, but she had a good heart.

No taste in men.

How many times did she date some loser and end up crying on my shoulder when he never called?

Then she met the biggest loser of them all, that cocky baseball champion, Phil Dwyer.

He was only in Phoenix for a week but what a trail of destruction he left behind. He saw Renee for what she was the first night they met.

A single Mom desperate for some adult company of the male variety.

He was at our house every single day, with flowers and chocolates and all the slimy moves necessary to lure her into his bed. And he pretended to like me, and to like our dog, even though I knew it was all for show.

That man truly was an idiot. Who throws a ball out the front of a house so close to a highway, for a dog to chase after?

I know he was responsible for our darling dogs death.

He had a girl in every town and Renee would have been just another notch on his bedpost if I hadn't removed the rotor arm to disable her car so it would not start. I stopped her throwing herself into his arms.

I wish I'd never replaced that rotor arm, again, then she would never have been able to go out driving later that night, looking for him long after the team bus had left town, to tell him she forgave him for killing Anna. I'd fallen asleep by the time she left. If I'd been awake I would have locked her in her bedroom like some wayward teenager. How could she even consider driving a car after drinking? And she knew she was a hopeless driver when the road was wet.

If I had treated her like a child, she would never have died.

I guess you can't save some people, even from themselves.

Her actions brought about her death just as Annabella and Jacob's jump from that cliff almost did.

Driving drunk in the rain was just as dangerous.

Why hadn't she taken better care of herself and not done anything that reckless?

She'd never have crashed, but then, I would never have opened that lockbox and gone to Forks, and to Edward.

I guess everything in life happens for a reason.

I jump out of bed and scribble a quick note to update Jasper on my newest memories.

He will never give up on me until he has helped me recall every single day of my life as Isabella Swan.

For me, my life as the second Mrs Edward Cullen is a much better story.

THE END

Thanks for reading, and reviewing.

**Bless your cotton socks.**


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